How to Cite ChatGPT in APA, MLA and Chicago (2026 Formats)

Citing ChatGPT used to be simple because nobody had rules for it. Now every major style guide does, and they've already been updated once. APA changed its recommended format in September 2025, and MLA revised its guidance the same summer. If you learned the 2023 format, it's out of date.

Here are the current formats for APA, MLA and Chicago, with examples you can copy, plus how to handle Claude, Gemini and Copilot.

How do you cite ChatGPT?

Cite the specific conversation if you can, using its share link. In APA, the reference looks like this: OpenAI. (2025, August 21). Title of chat [Generative AI chat]. ChatGPT. https://chatgpt.com/share/… In MLA, describe your prompt as the title: "Describe the theme of nature in Mansfield Park" prompt. ChatGPT, model GPT-4o, OpenAI, 23 Sept. 2024, chatgpt.com/share/…. In Chicago, use a footnote and leave it out of the bibliography. Always check your teacher's or journal's rules first, because some don't allow AI-generated text at all.

How to cite ChatGPT in APA

In September 2025, APA published updated guidance, "Citing generative AI in APA Style". The main change is that APA now recommends citing the specific chat rather than the tool in general. The company is the author, and the title is the chat's title, which is usually based on your first prompt.

APA reference for a specific chat

OpenAI. (2025, August 21). High school grammar concepts [Generative AI chat]. ChatGPT. https://chatgpt.com/share/[your-link-ID]

• Author: the company that makes the tool, OpenAI.
• Date: the date of the conversation.
• Title: the chat's title in italics, then [Generative AI chat] in square brackets.
• Source: the tool's name, ChatGPT, then the share URL.
• In-text citation: (OpenAI, 2025) or "OpenAI (2025) suggested..."

APA reference for ChatGPT in general

If you're writing about the tool itself rather than one conversation, cite it as software.

OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com/

Library guides that summarize APA's rules also advise including the prompt you used in your text and putting long conversations in an appendix or supplementary material, so readers can see exactly what was asked.

How to cite ChatGPT in MLA

MLA published a revised guide in August 2025 and updated it in October 2025. MLA's key rule is "We do not recommend treating the AI tool as an author." Instead, the title of the source is a description of your prompt.

"Describe the theme of nature in Jane Austen's Mansfield Park" prompt. ChatGPT, model GPT-4o, OpenAI, 23 Sept. 2024, chatgpt.com/share/[your-link-ID].

• Title of source: a description of your prompt, in quotation marks, followed by the word prompt.
• Container: the tool, ChatGPT, in italics.
• Version: the model, such as model GPT-4o.
• Publisher: OpenAI.
• Date and location: the date of the chat and a shareable URL if you have one.
• In-text citation: a short form of the title, such as ("Describe the theme").

If ChatGPT pointed you to a source, MLA says to "click through to the cited sources and use those directly." Cite the article or book, not the chatbot's summary of it.

How to cite ChatGPT in Chicago

The Chicago Manual of Style (18th edition) cites AI-generated text in a note. You don't usually list it in the bibliography, because a chat isn't a published source others can find. If you have a public share link, some guides suggest you may include it.

1. Text generated by ChatGPT, OpenAI, January 10, 2026, https://chatgpt.com/share/[your-link-ID].

If you didn't mention the prompt in your sentence, put it in the note.

1. ChatGPT, response to "Explain how to make pizza dough from common household ingredients," OpenAI, January 10, 2026, https://chatgpt.com/share/[your-link-ID].

In Chicago author-date style, cite it in the text only, as (ChatGPT, January 10, 2026), with no reference-list entry. If you edited what ChatGPT wrote, Chicago suggests saying so, for example "edited for style and content."

How to cite Claude, Gemini or Copilot

The same patterns work for any chatbot. Swap in the company and the tool. APA and MLA haven't published examples for every tool, so the versions below follow their templates.

Should you cite ChatGPT at all?

Cite it when you quote or paraphrase what it wrote, or when its output shaped your work in a way readers should know about. Don't cite it as a source of facts. Chatbots can state wrong information confidently and invent references. If ChatGPT told you something, check it in a real source and cite that source instead.

Also check the rules. Many teachers and journals now say exactly how AI can be used, and some require a short disclosure statement even when nothing is quoted. If you're worried about how your writing might be judged, our guides to the signs of AI writing and what to do if you're accused are worth a read.

Frequently asked questions

How do I cite ChatGPT in APA 7?

Cite the specific chat: OpenAI. (Year, Month Day). Title of chat [Generative AI chat]. ChatGPT. Share URL. In the text, write (OpenAI, Year). This follows APA's September 2025 update.

How do I cite ChatGPT in MLA 9?

Use your prompt as the title: "Description of prompt" prompt. ChatGPT, model name, OpenAI, date, URL. In the text, use a short form of the prompt in parentheses. Don't list ChatGPT as the author.

How do I cite ChatGPT in Chicago style?

In a footnote: Text generated by ChatGPT, OpenAI, date, URL. Add the prompt if you didn't mention it in your sentence. It usually doesn't go in the bibliography.

Is ChatGPT the author in a citation?

In APA the company, OpenAI, is the author. MLA recommends not treating the AI tool as an author at all. Chicago names ChatGPT in the note.

Do I need to include my prompt?

MLA uses the prompt as the title. APA guides suggest mentioning the prompt in your text and adding long chats to an appendix. Chicago includes it in the note if you didn't mention it.

What if I can't share the chat link?

Leave the URL out, or use the tool's general URL in APA (https://chatgpt.com/). Keep a saved copy of the conversation in case your teacher asks for it.

Can I cite ChatGPT as a source of facts?

It's better not to. Chatbots can be wrong or invent references. Find the original source for any fact and cite that.