Bibliography

How to cite ChatGPT

APA, MLA and Chicago have each published guidance on citing generative AI, and they don’t agree. Here’s what each one asks for, with a generator that handles all three.

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Source details
Source type
MLA puts the prompt in the title position. APA recommends quoting it in your text.
Date of the conversation (leave blank if none)

Reference list entry · APA 7th edition

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

In-text citation

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

First, check your course policy. Many instructors require you to disclose AI use even where they allow it, and some ban it. Citing ChatGPT means crediting generated text you quote or paraphrase. It is not a way to cite facts: AI tools can state false information confidently, so find and cite a real source for any factual claim.

APA 7: cite the company and the tool

APA’s guidance (APA Style blog, 2023) treats the model as software by its developer. The author is the company, the date is the version’s year, and the title is the tool name in italics, with the version and a description in brackets. Quote your prompt in the text and put long exchanges in an appendix.

APA 7th edition

OpenAI. (2026). ChatGPT (GPT-5 version) [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com/

In-text: (OpenAI, 2026) or OpenAI (2026)

MLA 9: the prompt is the title

MLA’s guidance (MLA Style Center, 2023) doesn’t treat the AI as an author. Describe what was generated, usually by quoting your prompt, in the title position; the tool is the container, followed by the version, the company, the date of the conversation and the URL.

MLA 9th edition

“Summarise the main causes of the French Revolution” prompt. ChatGPT, GPT-5 version, OpenAI, 14 Sept. 2026, chatgpt.com.

In-text: (“Summarise the main causes”) or “Summarise the main causes”

Chicago: usually a note, not the bibliography

The Chicago Manual of Style says to cite AI output in a footnote (or in your text), and to leave it out of the bibliography, because a chat can’t be retrieved by the reader. If you include your prompt in your text, the note can be shorter.

Chicago notes & bibliography

OpenAI. ChatGPT. GPT-5. September 14, 2026. https://chatgpt.com/.

Footnote: ChatGPT, response to “Summarise the main causes of the French Revolution,” OpenAI, September 14, 2026, https://chatgpt.com/.

Questions students ask

Can I list ChatGPT as an author?

No. APA, MLA and Chicago all agree an AI can’t be an author, since it can’t take responsibility for the work. Journals following COPE guidance say the same.

Should I share the conversation link?

If your tool offers a shareable link, use it as the URL. Otherwise use the tool’s general URL (https://chatgpt.com/). APA suggests adding the full transcript as an appendix.

How do I cite Claude, Gemini or Copilot?

The same way: swap in the tool name, the company (Anthropic, Google, Microsoft) and the version you used.