How to Cite ChatGPT in APA, MLA and Chicago (2026)
Most style guides now say the same thing: if you quote or paraphrase text that an AI tool produced, cite it like any other source. The formats differ, so here is each one with an example, written from the style guides’ own published guidance. If you want the entry built for you, use our free AI citation generator.
APA 7th edition
APA treats the company as the author, the tool as the title and the model or release as the version. The descriptor “[Large language model]” goes in square brackets.
Reference list
OpenAI. (2026). ChatGPT (GPT-5 version) [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com/
In-text
(OpenAI, 2026) or, in a sentence, OpenAI (2026)
APA also asks you to describe in your text how you used the tool, and to quote the prompt if it matters. Long responses can go in an appendix. Source: APA Style blog, How to cite ChatGPT.
MLA 9th edition
MLA puts your prompt in the title position, the tool as the container, then the version, the company, the date you used it and the URL.
Works cited
“Summarise the main critiques of the attention economy” prompt. ChatGPT, GPT-5 version, OpenAI, 22 Oct. 2026, chatgpt.com.
In-text
(“Summarise the main critiques”)
MLA does not want an AI tool listed as an author, and it asks you to check and cite any real sources the tool mentions rather than trusting the summary. Source: MLA Style Center.
Chicago (notes and bibliography)
Chicago cites AI output in a numbered note. If your prompt is already in the text, the note only needs the tool, company and date. Add a URL only when it is a link other people can open, such as a shared conversation. Chicago does not put the tool in the bibliography.
Note, prompt not in the text
1. ChatGPT, response to “Summarise the main critiques of the attention economy,” OpenAI, October 22, 2026.
Note, prompt already in the text
2. Text generated by ChatGPT, OpenAI, October 22, 2026.
Source: Chicago Manual of Style Q&A.
What about Harvard?
There is no single Harvard authority, so follow your university’s guide. Most versions mirror APA: company as author, year, tool name, “[Large language model]”, URL and an accessed date.
Citing is not the same as disclosing
A citation covers text you quote or paraphrase. Many journals and universities also want a short statement saying how you used AI at all, even for tasks you would never cite, such as improving readability. Elsevier, Springer Nature, Taylor & Francis and COPE each have their own wording and placement. Our AI-use disclosure statement generator builds that statement from their published rules.
Four habits that keep you safe
- Record the date and model. Tools change, and the same prompt gives different answers. The date is part of every format above.
- Save the conversation. A share link or a PDF export is your evidence if a reviewer asks.
- Check any source the tool names. Invented references are still common. Cite the real paper, not the AI’s summary of it.
- Never list the tool as an author. APA, MLA, Chicago and COPE all agree on this.