Bibliography

Chicago YouTube video citation generator

Cite a YouTube video in Chicago (18th ed.): paste the link and CiteForge fills in the details, then gives you the bibliography entry and the in-text citation.

Cite a YouTube video in Chicago

Smart detection works out the source type from what you paste.

Source details
Source type
Authors (or an organisation)
Publication date (leave blank if none)

Bibliography entry · Chicago notes & bibliography

Your citation appears here as you type, set exactly as it will look in your paper.

Footnotes

Fill in the author and date to see the in-text version.

Chicago format for a YouTube video

Channel Name. “Title of Video.” YouTube video, Month Day, Year. URL.

  • Describe the medium: “YouTube video”.
  • You may add the running time after “video”.
  • Notes can point to a timestamp.

Example

Chicago notes & bibliography

Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. “The Immune System Explained I – Bacteria Infection.” YouTube video, July 1, 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQGOcOUBi6s.

Footnote: Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell, “The Immune System Explained I – Bacteria Infection,” YouTube video, July 1, 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQGOcOUBi6s.

What you need, and where to find it

  • Channel name (and the person’s real name if known)
  • Video title
  • Upload date
  • URL

The upload date is under the video title on the watch page (click “…more” on mobile). Paste the link and CiteForge reads the title and channel.

Compare every style side by side in the full guide.

Chicago YouTube video questions

How do I cite a YouTube video in Chicago?

Use this pattern: Channel Name. “Title of Video.” YouTube video, Month Day, Year. URL.

Or paste the link into the generator above and it builds the citation for you.

What information do I need?

Channel name (and the person’s real name if known), Video title, Upload date, URL. The upload date is under the video title on the watch page (click “…more” on mobile). Paste the link and CiteForge reads the title and channel.

What does the in-text citation look like?

Chicago uses a footnote, or (Author Year, page) in author-date. The generator gives you both the parenthetical and narrative versions; add a page number or timestamp for direct quotes.

Is it free, and do I need an account?

Free, no account, no ads. Citations are formatted in your browser, and saved sources stay in this browser only.