Published February 5, 2021. Updated December 2, 2021.

To create a YouTube video reference or citation, you will need to know the name of the uploader, title of the video, website name, date posted, and URL (uniform resource locator).

The templates and examples below will show you how to cite a YouTube video in MLA 9, APA 7, Chicago style 17th edition, and Harvard referencing.

This page will cover the following points:

• Overview of citing a YouTube video

• Citing a YouTube video in MLA style

• Citing a YouTube video in APA style

• Citing a YouTube video in Chicago style, notes-bibliography

• Citing a YouTube video in Chicago style, author-date

• Citing a YouTube video in Harvard style

• Troubleshooting

Easily cite a YouTube video in the style of your choice using the Chegg Writing citation generator.

Help protect your paper against accidental plagiarism with the Chegg Writing plagiarism checker and citation generator.

Citing a YouTube video in MLA style

Set the title of the video in sentence case and enclose it in double quotation marks. Use the phrase YouTube after the title. Abbreviate the month in uploaded and accessed dates.

In-text citation template and example:

(“Shortened Video Title”)

(“State of the Student Report”)

Works cited entry template and example:

For more examples and information, view our citing a youtube video in MLA guide.

Citing a YouTube video in APA style

Set the title of the video in sentence case and set it in italics. Use the phrase [Video file] after the title. Do not use a period after the URL.

In-text citation template and example:

(Organization Name/Author Surname, Publication Year)

(Chegg, 2018)

Reference list entry template and example:

For more examples and information, view our citing a youtube video in APA guide.

Citing a YouTube video in Chicago style, notes-bibliography

Set the title of the video in title case and enclose it in double quotation marks. Use the word “video” in notes and “Video” in bibliography after the uploaded date. Add the length of the video before the URL.

Footnotes template and example:

Note

1. Organization Name/Author’s Full Name, “Title of the video,” Uploaded date, video, duration of the video, URL.

2. Chegg, “State of the Student Report: Fast Facts,” September 18, 2018, video, 1:14, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKH5QFmi9aw.

Shortened note

3. Organization Name/Author Surname, Title of the Video.

4. Chegg, State of the Student Report.

Bibliography entry template and example:

For more examples and information, view our citing a youtube video in Chicago Style guide.

Citing a YouTube video in Chicago style, author-date

In-text citation template and example:

(Organization Name/Author Surname Publication Year)

(Chegg 2018)

Reference list entry template and example:

For more examples and information, view our citing a youtube video in Chicago Style guide.

Citing a YouTube video in Harvard referencing style

The title of the video should be in sentence case and set in italics. Do not use a period after the URL.

In-text citation template and example:

(Organization Name/Author Surname, Publication Year)

(Chegg, 2018)

Reference list entry template and example:

For more examples and information, view our citing a youtube video in Harvard Referencing Style guide.

Writing a paper? Don’t forget to include a bibliography.

Troubleshooting

Solution #1: When to format the YouTube account name as an uploader instead of the author

APA, Chicago, Harvard Styles

If you are citing a YouTube video in APA, Chicago, or Harvard style, the account that uploaded the video is considered the author. For APA, if the uploader’s real name is different than the username, first list the author’s real name then add the uploader name in brackets.

APA examples:

Green, J., & Green, H. [vlogbrothers]. (2021, November 23). I have been playing a small trick on you [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_3g5RYuM38

Mayo Clinic. (2021, November 9). Safety and side effects of COVID-19 vaccinations for kids. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR4AhAGBiT4

MLA Style

If you are citing a YouTube video in MLA style, the citation should begin with the title of the video and the account name should be included in the “other contributors” slot of the citation template, formatted as “uploaded by Account Name”. This is because it is not usually possible to verify that the creator/author of the video is the same as the uploader of the video.

Example:

“Safety and Side Effects of COVID-19 Vaccinations for Kids.” YouTube, uploaded by Mayo Clinic, 9 Nov. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR4AhAGBiT4.

Solution #2: How to include a timestamp in your in-text citation for a YouTube video

If you include a direct quote from a YouTube video in your paper, you will need to include a timestamp in your in-text citation. It should be formatted as hours/minutes/seconds and it helps your reader locate the quote. The timestamp will be included in a similar manner as a page number would be included for a print source.

The examples below demonstrate how to include a timestamp in your in-text citation in MLA, APA, Chicago, and Harvard referencing styles based on the example from the previous solution.

1. MLA

Template:

(“Shortened Video Title” 00:00:00)

Example:

(“Safety” 00:01:13)

2. APA

Template:

(Account Name, Year, 00:00:00)

Example:

(Mayo Clinic, 2021, 1:13)

Note that the time stamp template can be shortened to reflect smallest unit of time needed in APA style.

3. Chicago (Author Date)

Template:

(Account Name Year, 00:00:00)

Example:

(Mayo Clinic 2021, 00:01:13)

4. Harvard referencing

Template:

(Account Name, Year, 00:00:00)

Example:

(Mayo Clinic, 2021, 00:01:13)