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How to Cite ChatGPT and Other AI Tools in APA 7, MLA 9 and Chicago 18
If you used ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot or Perplexity in an assignment and your instructor allows it, you need to say so and cite it properly. The three major styles handle AI differently, and APA changed its format in September 2025, so many older guides online are now out of date.
This guide gives you the current format for each style, with examples you can copy and adapt.
Before you cite: check whether AI use is allowed
Citing an AI tool does not make its use acceptable. Many courses ban AI for graded work, some allow it for brainstorming or editing only, and some require you to disclose any use at all. Check your syllabus or course outline first. If it says nothing, ask your instructor before you submit. Submitting AI-generated text as your own work is treated as academic misconduct at most universities, whether or not you add a citation.
Quick reference
| Style | Who is the "author"? | Where it goes | Key detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| APA 7 | The company (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google) | Reference list + in-text | Use the shared chat link if you can |
| MLA 9 | No author | Works Cited + in-text | Describe the prompt as the title |
| Chicago 18 | No author | Footnote or endnote | Usually not in the bibliography |
APA 7: citing a specific AI chat (updated 2025 format)
In September 2025, the APA Style team published new guidance that replaced its 2023 ChatGPT post. The biggest change: when you cite a specific conversation, you now give the chat a title and link to the shared chat itself.
Template
Company Name. (Year, Month Day). Title of chat in italics [Generative AI chat]. Tool Name or Model. URL of the shared chat
Example
OpenAI. (2026, September 14). Causes of the 1837 rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada [Generative AI chat]. ChatGPT. https://chatgpt.com/share/your-chat-id
Anthropic. (2026, September 20). Summary of nursing ethics principles [Generative AI chat]. Claude. https://claude.ai/share/your-chat-id
In-text citations
- Parenthetical: (OpenAI, 2026)
- Narrative: OpenAI (2026) suggested that...
How each part works
- Author: the company that built the tool. APA's position is that AI cannot be an author, so the company responsible for the tool takes that place.
- Date: the day the chat took place or ended.
- Title: a short, descriptive title you write yourself, in italics and sentence case, followed by a description in square brackets such as [Generative AI chat].
- Source: the tool name, either general (ChatGPT, Gemini) or the specific model if you know it, then the shared link to the chat.
To get a shareable link, use the Share button in the chat window. Anyone who opens it sees the original conversation.
APA 7: citing an AI tool in general
Sometimes you used AI as a helper rather than as a source, for example to edit your own writing, translate your own text, or adjust code. In those cases, APA says you can cite the tool generally instead of a specific chat. You do not need to show every draft.
Template
Company Name. (Year). Tool Name or Model [Large language model]. URL of the tool
Example
OpenAI. (2026). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com/
Mention how you used it in your text or in a method section, for example: "I used ChatGPT (OpenAI, 2026) to check the grammar of my final draft."
MLA 9: citing AI-generated content
MLA treats AI output as a source with no author. You describe what you asked as the title, and the tool becomes the container. MLA specifically recommends against listing the AI tool as an author.
Template
"Description of the prompt" prompt. Name of AI Tool, version, Company, Date of response, URL.
Example
"Summarize the main causes of the 1837 rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada" prompt. ChatGPT, GPT-5 version, OpenAI, 14 Sept. 2026, chatgpt.com.
In-text citation
Use a shortened version of the prompt description in quotation marks:
("Summarize the main causes")
Tips for MLA
- For the version, use the version or model name the tool shows you. MLA's own early example used a dated release ("13 Feb. version").
- If you quote the AI's words directly, put them in quotation marks like any other quotation.
- If you used AI for editing or brainstorming rather than content, acknowledge that in a note or in your text instead of a Works Cited entry.
- If your instructor asks for the full conversation, add it as an appendix.
Chicago 18: citing AI in a note
The 18th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style (2024) covers AI in section 14.104. Chicago treats AI output much like a personal communication: you cite it in a footnote or endnote, and it usually does not go in the bibliography, because readers generally cannot retrieve the same response.
Note without the prompt in your sentence
1. Text generated by ChatGPT, OpenAI, September 14, 2026, https://chatgpt.com/share/your-chat-id.
Note when you name the prompt
1. ChatGPT, response to "Summarize the main causes of the 1837 rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada," OpenAI, September 14, 2026, https://chatgpt.com/share/your-chat-id.
Tips for Chicago
- If you edited the AI text before quoting it, say so in the note, for example "edited for length."
- If you must include it in a bibliography, list it under the company (OpenAI), not the tool.
- In author-date papers, give the same details in your sentence, for example: "In a response generated by ChatGPT (OpenAI) on September 14, 2026..."
Citing other AI tools
The same formats work for any generative AI tool. Swap in the company and tool name:
| Tool | Company to list |
|---|---|
| ChatGPT | OpenAI |
| Claude | Anthropic |
| Gemini | |
| Copilot | Microsoft |
| Perplexity | Perplexity AI |
Common mistakes
- Listing "ChatGPT" as the author. In APA the author is the company. In MLA and Chicago there is no author.
- Using the 2023 APA format. APA's 2025 update added a chat title and the shared chat link. Check that any guide you follow reflects it.
- Citing facts that AI produced without checking them. AI tools can invent sources and statistics. If the AI gives you a fact, find and cite the original source instead.
- Citing AI as a scholarly source. Most instructors will not accept AI output as evidence. Use it to find leads, then cite the books and articles you actually read.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to cite ChatGPT if I only used it to fix grammar?
In APA, you can cite the tool generally and briefly explain how you used it. In MLA and Chicago, a short acknowledgment in your text or a note is usually enough. Your course policy may require more, so check it first.
What if I cannot create a shareable link?
Use the general tool URL in APA, or the tool's main website in MLA. If your instructor wants the exact conversation, copy it into an appendix.
Is AI an author in APA style?
No. APA states that AI cannot be an author. The company that developed the tool is listed in the author position.
Does an AI citation go in the Chicago bibliography?
Usually not. Chicago 18 says AI content is normally cited only in a note. If you do include it, list it under the company name.
Can I cite an AI tool as a source of facts?
It is better not to. AI tools sometimes produce incorrect or invented information. Verify the claim and cite the original source.
Format your references faster
Our free citation generator formats references in APA 7, MLA 9, Chicago 18, Harvard, IEEE and AMA. Not sure which style your course needs? See our study of citation style requirements at 20 U.S. and Canadian universities.
Sources: APA Style Blog, "Citing generative AI in APA Style: Part 1, Reference formats" (September 2025); MLA Style Center, "How do I cite generative AI in MLA style?"; The Chicago Manual of Style, 18th edition, section 14.104 and Chicago Style Q&A.
