How to Cite Social Media in MLA Format

Understanding Social Media Citation in MLA

Social media has become an important source of information, dialogue, and shared knowledge across academic and professional fields. From research announcements on Twitter to scholarly discussions on Facebook to visual arguments on Instagram, social media content merits proper citation. MLA format provides guidance for citing social media posts while acknowledging their unique ephemeral nature.

Social media citations in MLA differ from traditional sources because posts may be edited, deleted, or moved, making stability and access verification important considerations in citation.

Basic Social Media Citation Format

The standard MLA format for a social media post is:

Author/Username. "Post content or brief description." Platform Name, Date Posted, URL/link.

Example:

@JohnSmith. "The future of artificial intelligence is reshaping our world." Twitter, 15 Mar. 2025, twitter.com/JohnSmith/status/1234567890.

Author/Username Format

Use the publicly displayed username or account name:

For Twitter/X:

@JohnSmith

For Facebook:

John Smith

For Instagram:

@john.smith.photography

Include the @ symbol for platforms that use it (Twitter, Instagram).

Post Content or Title

For the post title, use up to the first 150 characters:

Short Post:

"This is a brief post about research."

Longer Post:

"The new research methodology shows promising results in several domains. First, we examined..."

Or provide a brief descriptive title:

"Comment on climate change policy"

Platform Name

Identify the social media platform:

• Twitter (or X)
• Facebook
• Instagram
• TikTok
• LinkedIn
• Reddit
• YouTube
• Tumblr
• Snapchat

Date Format

MLA uses day month year format:

15 Mar. 2025

Not:

March 15, 2025

Or:

3/15/2025

Abbreviate months (except May, June, July).

URL and Link Format

Include the post’s direct URL:

Twitter:

twitter.com/JohnSmith/status/1234567890

Facebook:

facebook.com/JohnSmith/posts/1234567890

Instagram:

instagram.com/p/ABC123DEF456/

If URL is exceptionally long, you may shorten it, but ensure it’s still functional.

Specific Platform Formats

Twitter (X) Citations

@username. "Tweet content." Twitter, Date, URL.

Example:

@NASA. "The James Webb Space Telescope reveals new mysteries of the cosmos." Twitter, 10 Mar. 2025, twitter.com/NASA/status/1234567890.

Facebook Citations

FirstName LastName. "Post content." Facebook, Date, URL.

Example:

Smith, John. "Exciting news about our research project." Facebook, 12 Mar. 2025, facebook.com/john.smith/posts/1234567890.

Instagram Citations

@username. Instagram photo/video/caption. Date, URL.

Example:

@nature.photography. Instagram photo, 14 Mar. 2025, instagram.com/p/ABC123DEF456/.

Or with caption:

@nature.photography. "The Northern Lights in all their glory." Instagram, 14 Mar. 2025, instagram.com/p/ABC123DEF456/.

TikTok Citations

@username. Description of video. TikTok, Date, URL.

Example:

@scienceexplained. Video explaining quantum physics. TikTok, 16 Mar. 2025, tiktok.com/@scienceexplained/video/1234567890.

LinkedIn Citations

FirstName LastName. "Post content." LinkedIn, Date, URL.

Example:

Johnson, Mary. "The future of workplace technology is here." LinkedIn, 13 Mar. 2025, linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:1234567890.

Reddit Citations

Username. "Post title." r/subreddit, Date, URL.

Example:

SmithJ. "Best practices for academic research." r/Academia, 11 Mar. 2025, reddit.com/r/Academia/comments/abc123/.

YouTube Citations

Channel Name. "Video title." YouTube, Date Uploaded, URL.

Example:

Crash Course. "The History of the Internet." YouTube, 8 Mar. 2025, youtube.com/watch?v=ABC123DEF.

In-Text Citation Format

MLA in-text citations for social media:

Author-Title Format:

(Smith)

Or with quotation:

According to Smith, "the future of technology..." (@JohnSmith).

With Specific Timepoint (for longer videos):

(NASA 12:34)

Responses and Quoted Posts

When citing a reply or retweet:

Username. "Response to previous post about [topic]." Twitter, Date, URL.

Or:

Username. Twitter, Date, URL. Retweeting original post by @OriginalAuthor.

Posts with Images or Multimedia

Describe the visual content in the citation:

@nature.photography. Instagram photo of mountain landscape during sunset. Date, URL.

Or include caption:

@nature.photography. "Golden hour in the Rockies." Instagram, Date, URL.

Stories and Temporary Posts

For ephemeral content like Instagram or Snapchat stories:

Username. "Story content description." Platform Name, Date, Screenshot or URL if available.

Note: Include access date for posts that disappear:

@JohnSmith. Instagram Story, 15 Mar. 2025. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.

Live Streams

Channel Name. "Live stream title." Platform Name, Date and Time, URL.

Example:

NASA. "Live NASA Space Launch Coverage." YouTube, 15 Mar. 2025, 2:00 p.m., youtube.com/watch?v=LIVESTREAM123.

Hashtag and Trending Topic Posts

When citing content with hashtags:

Username. "Post content #hashtag #anotherhashtag." Platform, Date, URL.

Or for posts about a hashtag trend:

Username. "Discussion of #ResearchTrend." Twitter, Date, URL.

Group or Page Posts

For content from organizations or pages:

Organization Name. "Post content." Facebook, Date, URL.

Example:

Harvard University. "New research initiative launching this fall." Facebook, 14 Mar. 2025, facebook.com/harvard/posts/1234567890.

Embedded Posts

When citing a post embedded in another source:

Username. "Original post content." Platform, Original date, URL. Accessed [access date].

Using GenText for Social Media Citations

GenText manages social media citation formatting by correctly formatting usernames with @ symbols, handling post content in quotation marks, formatting dates in MLA style, including URLs or links, and maintaining consistency across different social media platforms.

Common Social Media Citation Errors

Error 1: Forgetting the @ symbol for Twitter and Instagram usernames Incorrect: JohnSmith Correct: @JohnSmith

Error 2: Using incorrect date format Incorrect: March 15, 2025 Correct: 15 Mar. 2025

Error 3: Including excessive post content in quotation marks Keep to first 150 characters or brief description.

Error 4: Omitting the platform name in citation

Verification Checklist

• Verify username or account name and @ symbol (if applicable)
• Confirm platform name
• Use correct MLA date format (day month year)
• Include post content or title in quotation marks (first 150 characters)
• Provide URL or link to the post
• Ensure in-text citation matches reference list
• For deleted posts, note access date

Special Situations

Edited Post:

Username. "Original post content." Platform, Date, URL. Note: Post edited on [date].

Deleted or Archived Post:

Username. "Post content." Platform, Date. Accessed [access date] via archive service/screenshot.

Verified Account:

@username (verified). "Post content." Twitter, Date, URL.

Complete Example

Work Cited Entry:

@NASA. "The James Webb Space Telescope captures stunning images of a distant galaxy." Twitter, 12 Mar. 2025, twitter.com/NASA/status/1234567890.

In-Text Citation:

Recent space exploration has provided unprecedented views of the cosmos (NASA).

With Direct Quote:

According to NASA, "The James Webb Space Telescope captures stunning images of a distant galaxy" (@NASA).

Conclusion

Citing social media in MLA format acknowledges the importance of digital communication as sources of information and discussion. By properly formatting social media citations with usernames, platform names, dates, and URLs, you demonstrate research rigor and help readers locate sources. With tools like GenText managing the technical formatting details, you can confidently incorporate social media sources into your academic work while maintaining professional citation standards.