How to Cite a Social Media Post in APA 7th Edition
In contemporary academic research across communications, political science, psychology, and marketing, social media platforms serve as vital primary sources. Whether you are referencing an official government announcement on X (formerly Twitter), a visual campaign on Instagram, a professional update on LinkedIn, or a short-form video on TikTok, the American Psychological Association (APA 7th edition) provides dedicated rules to ensure these ephemeral digital posts are cited accurately.
Because social media posts lack traditional titles and often include multimedia attachments, usernames, and non-standard punctuation, citing them requires a specialized formula. Below is the complete step-by-step guide to formatting any social media reference in APA 7.
The Core APA 7 Formula for Social Media
Regardless of the platform you are referencing, the standard APA 7 template for an individual social media post follows this structure:
Step-by-Step Formatting Instructions
Step 1: Format the Author and Handle
Begin with the real name of the person (Last Name, Initials) or the full official name of the organization/group. Immediately after the name, provide their social media handle or username inside square brackets, including the @ symbol if the platform uses one (e.g., National Aeronautics and Space Administration [@NASA].). If only the username is known, write the username alone without brackets.
Step 2: Provide the Exact Publication Date
Social media feeds move rapidly, so providing the year alone is insufficient. Inside parentheses, write the Year, followed by a comma, the full Month name, and the Day the post was published: (2024, October 18).
Step 3: Use the First 20 Words as the Title
Since social media updates rarely have formal titles, APA 7 instructs researchers to use the first 20 words of the post itself as the title, formatted in italics. Do not alter the capitalization, spelling, hashtags, or emojis found in the original post—each hashtag, link, or emoji counts as one word toward the 20-word limit.
Step 4: Add Bracketed Descriptions, Platform Name, and URL
If the post includes an image, video, thumbnail link, or poll, note it in square brackets immediately after the italicized text (e.g., [Image attached] or [Video]), followed by a second bracketed label identifying the post type (e.g., [Post], [Tweet], or [Status update]). Conclude with the platform name in Title Case and the direct URL.
Real-World Bibliographic Examples
Example 1: Citing an X (Twitter) Post with an Image
Example 2: Citing an Instagram Photograph
Example 3: In-Text Citations
Narrative: Smithsonian Institution (2024) shared archival photographs demonstrating...
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Correcting grammar or removing hashtags: Never "clean up" the text of a social media post in your reference list. Preserve the exact wording, casing, and hashtags of the first 20 words.
- Using the username in the in-text citation when the real name is known: Only the primary author name (individual last name or organization name) goes inside the parenthetical citation—do not include the
[@handle]in the body of your paper. - Citing private or deleted posts in the reference list: If a social media post is not publicly accessible (e.g., from a private account or closed group), APA 7 requires citing it only as a personal communication in the text rather than adding it to the bibliography.
Format Social Media References Instantly
Let our client-side APA 7 engine handle bracketed usernames, post descriptions, and URLs automatically.
Cite a Social Media Post in APA 7Frequently Asked Questions
How many words of a social media post should I include as the title in APA 7?
In APA 7th edition, because social media posts do not have formal titles, you use the first 20 words of the post (in italics) as the title. Count URLs, hashtags, and emojis as single words.
Should I include emojis and hashtags in an APA social media citation?
Yes. APA 7 guidelines specify that you should replicate emojis, hashtags, and original spelling or capitalization exactly as they appear in the first 20 words of the post. If an emoji cannot be reproduced in your word processor, provide its official Unicode name in square brackets.
What if the social media account only has a username and no real name?
If the real name of the individual or group is unknown, simply place the username in the author position without square brackets, followed by a period before the date.
Do I need a retrieval date when citing a social media profile page?
If you are citing a specific, dated post, you do not need a retrieval date. However, if you are citing an entire social media profile or timeline that updates continuously, you must use (n.d.) for the date and include a retrieval date before the URL.