Guide
How to Cite ChatGPT and Other AI: APA, MLA, Chicago and Harvard
A plain-English guide to citing ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot and Perplexity: the current APA and MLA formats, Chicago 18th edition notes, Harvard, IEEE, AMA, Vancouver, AGLC and OSCOLA, how to make a share link, when to acknowledge rather than cite, and why ChatGPT can never be an author.
Quick answer: To cite ChatGPT, name OpenAI as the company, give the date of the chat, the model or tool name, and the chat’s share link. In APA 7th edition a specific chat is cited as: OpenAI. (2026, February 10). Top 10 writing topics for high school graduates [Generative AI chat]. ChatGPT. https://chatgpt.com/share/698b9233-1b58-8008-858d-cede516f4240 (APA Style). In MLA 9th edition the prompt comes first: “Describe the theme of nature in Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park” prompt. ChatGPT, model GPT-4o, OpenAI, 23 Sept. 2024, chatgpt.com/share/66f1b0a0-d704-8000-be9a-85f53c850607 (MLA Style Center). In Chicago 18th edition ChatGPT goes in a note, not usually the bibliography. Both APA and MLA revised their AI guidance in 2025, so many older guides still show out-of-date formats with “(Mar 14 version)“-style dates. The caveat that matters most: a correct citation does not make AI use permitted. Check your course or publisher policy first.
This guide explains how to cite an AI tool’s output itself. For tools that format references to books, articles and websites for you, see best AI citation generators. For drafting essays with AI and the disclosure question around it, see best AI for essays.
How to cite ChatGPT: every major style at a glance
Every style below treats ChatGPT output as something you credit, not something written by an author. The details differ.
| Style | Reference list entry? | Who goes first | Version element | Share link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APA 7th edition | Yes | OpenAI (the company) | Model or tool name; version number no longer required by default | Yes, for a specific chat |
| MLA 9th edition | Yes (Works Cited) | A description of the prompt | Model name, e.g. “model GPT-4o” | Yes, preferred |
| Chicago 18th edition | Usually no; note or running text | ChatGPT or “Text generated by ChatGPT” | Not required | Yes, if available |
| Harvard (Cite Them Right) | Yes | OpenAI (the company) | Not required | Yes |
| IEEE | No official format | Not applicable | Name the AI system | Not applicable |
| AMA 11th edition | No; disclose instead | Not applicable | Version required in the disclosure | Not applicable |
| Vancouver / ICMJE | No; disclose instead | Not applicable | Version in Methods disclosure | Not applicable |
| AGLC4 (Australian law) | Yes, as correspondence (interim) | “Output from ChatGPT” | Not required | Not required |
The sections below give the exact format for each, with the official examples.
Before you cite: check you are allowed to use AI at all
A citation tells a reader where words or ideas came from. It does not grant permission to use the tool.
Your course or publisher policy decides whether AI use is permitted. APA’s own guidance on generative AI says the decision belongs to the instructor, editor or publisher, and that permitted use must still be disclosed (APA Style). A perfectly formatted citation of a tool you were not allowed to use is still an academic integrity breach.
Student AI use is now near-universal. The HEPI/Kortext Student Generative AI Survey 2026 found that 95% of 1,054 UK full-time undergraduates use AI in some way and 94% use generative AI to help with assessed work (HEPI). The same survey found that 12% put AI-generated text directly into assessed work, up from 8% in 2025 and 3% in 2024.
Detection is a separate question from citation. Many schools run AI-writing detection through Turnitin inside their learning platform. The University of Melbourne, for example, states that Turnitin in Canvas lets staff “check for AI generated content” and that the AI Writing report is only visible to instructors (University of Melbourne). For how those detectors work and how often they are wrong, see Turnitin AI detection and how AI detectors work.
Step one: make a share link and record the details
Every current style guide prefers a stable link to the exact conversation. Make the link before you write the citation.
What to record for every AI exchange you might cite:
| Detail | Where to find it | Used by |
|---|---|---|
| Company | OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Microsoft, Perplexity AI | All styles |
| Tool name | ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, Perplexity | All styles |
| Model name | The model menu in the app | APA (optional), MLA (version element) |
| Date of the chat | The day the chat took place or ended | All styles |
| Your prompt, word for word | Copy it before you edit or continue the chat | MLA, Chicago, Harvard, disclosure statements |
| Share link | The Share button in the chat | APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard |
ChatGPT changes its default model often, so record the model on the day. OpenAI’s model release notes list frequent model launches and retirements in ChatGPT. OpenAI also states that ChatGPT may switch models when a usage limit is reached (OpenAI Help Center). If you cannot tell which model answered, cite the tool name alone; APA explicitly allows this (APA Style).
How share links work in each AI tool
| Tool | How to share | Who can open it | Snapshot or live? | What deletes it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Share icon on the chat, then copy link | Anyone with the link; not listed in search | Snapshot up to the moment you share | Deleting the conversation deletes the link |
| Claude | Share (top right), then Share | Anyone with the link on Free, Pro and Max; organisation only on Team and Enterprise | Snapshot, including artifacts; attached files are never included | Switching to Private, or Settings > Privacy > Shared chats |
| Gemini | Share, then Share conversation | Anyone with the link; your name is not shown | Snapshot of the chat when the link was made | Deleting the chat from your activity deletes the link |
| Microsoft Copilot | Share, then Share chat, then Copy link | Viewers must sign in with a Microsoft account; work links stay inside the organisation | Snapshot | Deleting the conversation disables the link |
| Perplexity | Share on the thread | Data not available from Perplexity’s own documentation | Data not available | Data not available |
Sources: OpenAI shared links FAQ, Claude help centre, Gemini help, Microsoft Support.
Never delete a chat you have cited. On ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot, deleting the conversation breaks the link in your reference list.
Treat a share link as public. In July 2025 OpenAI removed an opt-in setting that let shared ChatGPT chats be indexed by search engines, after shared conversations appeared in Google results; OpenAI’s chief information security officer called it a “short-lived experiment” (TechRadar). Do not share a chat that contains personal details, unpublished data or anything you would not hand to your marker.
Rename the chat before you share it. APA advises editing the chat title inside the AI tool to something descriptive before citing it, because the title becomes part of the reference (APA Style).
How to cite ChatGPT in APA (7th edition)
APA is on its 7th edition. APA rewrote its AI guidance in a three-part blog series in September 2025 and keeps a standing “AI references” examples page (APA Style).
APA now gives two reference types: one for a specific chat and one for the tool in general.
APA reference for a specific ChatGPT chat
Template:
Company. (Year, Month Day). Title of chat in sentence case [Generative AI chat]. Tool or model name. Share URL
Official APA example:
OpenAI. (2026, February 10). Top 10 writing topics for high school graduates [Generative AI chat]. ChatGPT. https://chatgpt.com/share/698b9233-1b58-8008-858d-cede516f4240
| Element | Rule |
|---|---|
| Author | The company: OpenAI. AI cannot be an author because it is not “a living, conscious human” (APA Style) |
| Date | The year, month and day the chat took place or ended |
| Title | The chat’s title, in italics and sentence case |
| Description | [Generative AI chat], in square brackets |
| Source | The tool or model name, then the share link |
APA reference for ChatGPT in general
Use this when you are discussing the tool rather than quoting a particular exchange.
Template:
Company. (Year). Tool or model name [Large language model]. URL
Official APA example:
OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com/
The year is the year the tool was most recently updated, not the year you used it (APA Style).
APA in-text citations
| Type | ChatGPT chat | ChatGPT the tool |
|---|---|---|
| Parenthetical | (OpenAI, 2026) | (OpenAI, 2025) |
| Narrative | OpenAI (2026) | OpenAI (2025) |
| Several tools at once | (Google, 2026; OpenAI, 2026; Perplexity AI, 2026) | (Google, 2025; OpenAI, 2025; Perplexity AI, 2026) |
The years in this table match APA’s own examples.
Where the prompt goes in APA
The prompt does not go in an APA reference. APA’s September 2025 guidance says prompts do not fit the reference elements, do not help readers retrieve the work and can be very long (APA Style). Describe the prompt in your text instead, for example: “I provided the following prompt to ChatGPT (OpenAI, 2026)…”. APA suggests putting full prompts in the Method section or an appendix, agreed with your instructor or editor.
When APA says you do not need to cite AI
APA’s September 2025 guidance on AI search and software says two common uses usually need no citation (APA Style):
- Using AI as a search engine. Cite the sources you actually read, not the AI that found them.
- AI built into everyday software, such as Copilot in Microsoft Word or Canva’s image tools, is treated like spell-check.
The exception is when the AI is part of your method, such as an AI search tool used in a literature-review search strategy. Then cite it.
What changed in APA since 2023
| 2023 guidance | Current guidance (since September 2025) |
|---|---|
| Cite only the tool, not the chat | Cite the specific chat with its share link |
| Include a version date, e.g. “(Mar 14 version)“ | Version number no longer included by default; use the model or tool name |
| URL: chat.openai.com | URL: chatgpt.com, or the chat’s share link |
| No guidance on AI search or embedded AI | AI search and AI built into software usually need no citation |
Guides written before September 2025 still show the 2023 format, such as “OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Feb 13 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com”. If your instructor’s handout uses it, ask which version they want.
How to cite ChatGPT in MLA (9th edition)
MLA is on its 9th edition (2021). The MLA Style Center published revised AI guidance on 13 August 2025, which officially supersedes its March 2023 post (MLA Style Center).
MLA Works Cited entry for ChatGPT
Template:
“Description of the prompt” prompt. Name of AI tool, model or version, Company, Day Month Year, share URL.
Official MLA example:
“Describe the theme of nature in Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park” prompt. ChatGPT, model GPT-4o, OpenAI, 23 Sept. 2024, chatgpt.com/share/66f1b0a0-d704-8000-be9a-85f53c850607.
| MLA core element | What goes there for ChatGPT |
|---|---|
| Author | Nothing. MLA does “not recommend treating the AI tool as an author” |
| Title of source | A description of what was generated, usually the prompt, followed by the word “prompt” |
| Title of container | ChatGPT, in italics |
| Version | The model, “as specifically as possible”, e.g. model GPT-4o |
| Publisher | OpenAI |
| Date | The date the content was generated |
| Location | The share URL; if the tool has none, the tool’s general URL |
You can shorten a long prompt. MLA’s guidance says a more general description, such as “Theme of nature in Austen’s Mansfield Park” prompt, can be used instead of the full prompt.
MLA in-text citations
MLA in-text citations use a shortened form of the prompt description, in quotation marks.
- Paraphrase: …the novel links landscape to moral character (“Describe the theme”).
- Quotation: ChatGPT described nature as something that “often mirrors the personalities or inner states of the characters” (“Describe the theme”).
Both examples follow the MLA Style Center’s own worked example.
MLA for AI-generated poems and creative text
Titled output: “The Oak Tree” free verse poem. ChatGPT, model GPT-4o, OpenAI, 23 Sept. 2024, followed by the share URL.
Untitled output: use the first line and a description: “The autumn leaves fall softly to the ground …” sonnet about autumn. ChatGPT, model GPT-4o, OpenAI, 23 Sept. 2024, followed by the share URL (MLA Style Center).
What changed in MLA since 2023
| 2023 guidance | Current guidance (since August 2025) |
|---|---|
| Version written as a date, e.g. “13 Feb. version” | Version is the model name, e.g. “model GPT-4o” |
| General tool URL, e.g. chat.openai.com | Stable share URL preferred; general URL only as a fallback |
| No guidance on sources the AI cites | Click through to the sources the AI cites and cite those directly |
| No separate guidance on other uses | A separate post covers describing AI use beyond citation |
How to cite ChatGPT in Chicago (18th edition)
Chicago treats a chatbot conversation like a personal communication. The 18th edition (2024) covers AI in section 14.112, “Citing AI-generated content”. Section 14.112 says chatbot conversations “are not usually included in a bibliography or reference list”, as quoted by the Georgetown University Library guide.
Chicago notes-bibliography: official CMOS examples (Chicago Manual of Style Q&A):
| Situation | Note |
|---|---|
| Your prompt is already given in your text | Text generated by ChatGPT, OpenAI, January 10, 2026, [share URL]. |
| Your prompt is not in your text | ChatGPT, response to “Explain how to make pizza dough from common household ingredients,” OpenAI, January 10, 2026, [share URL]. |
Replace [share URL] with the link from ChatGPT’s Share button. The CMOS Q&A says to paste the link “from OpenAI’s Share button”.
Say if you edited the output. CMOS asks you to add “edited for style and content” in the text or at the end of the note if you changed the AI’s wording. Formatting-only changes, such as smart quotes, need no mention.
Informal writing needs no note. CMOS says naming the tool in the running text, such as “The following recipe was generated by ChatGPT”, is enough outside formal academic work.
Chicago author-date has no official ChatGPT example. Cite the exchange in the text, for example “(ChatGPT, OpenAI, January 10, 2026)”, and leave it out of the reference list, following the personal-communication rule in 14.112. Some university guides, such as TCU’s, do give a bibliography entry with OpenAI as author; that is a library’s adaptation, not the CMOS rule, so follow your instructor if they ask for one.
How to cite ChatGPT in Harvard
Harvard has no single owner, so the format depends on which Harvard guide your institution uses. Most UK and Australian universities use Cite Them Right, now in its 13th edition (2025).
Cite Them Right Harvard, as adapted by the University of Greenwich (University of Greenwich):
Name of AI company (Year) AI-generated [medium] by [name of AI] with prompt ‘[prompt]’, Day Month. Available at: URL of chat (Accessed: date).
Worked example (share ID shortened):
OpenAI (2026) AI-generated text by ChatGPT with prompt ‘what is the definition of academic integrity?’, 7 January. Available at: https://chatgpt.com/share/[share ID] (Accessed: 7 January 2026).
In-text: ChatGPT (OpenAI, 2026) responded… or (OpenAI, 2026).
Older Harvard guides treat ChatGPT as a personal communication with no link. Newcastle University’s style sheet, for example, uses “OpenAI ChatGPT (2023) ChatGPT response to Lorna Smith, 3 April” and calls the output non-recoverable (Newcastle University). That advice predates ChatGPT’s own share links. If your institution’s guide still uses it, follow your institution.
How to cite ChatGPT in IEEE, AMA and Vancouver
The technical and medical styles mostly ask you to disclose AI use, not to cite it as a source.
| Style | Official position | Where it goes | Reference-list format |
|---|---|---|---|
| IEEE | AI-generated content “shall be disclosed in the acknowledgments section”, naming the AI system, the sections affected and the level of use (IEEE Open) | Acknowledgments | No official IEEE format. University guides conflict: Victoria University treats it as a private communication with no reference entry (Victoria University) |
| AMA 11th edition / JAMA Network | Disclose the tool name, version and extension numbers, manufacturer, dates of use and what it was used for (AMA Style Insider) | Methods or Acknowledgments | None. AMA’s sample: “The authors acknowledge using ChatGPT (GPT-3.5, OpenAI) for text editing to improve the fluency of the English language.” |
| Vancouver / ICMJE | ”Referencing AI-generated material as the primary source is not acceptable”; disclose in the cover letter and the manuscript (ICMJE) | Acknowledgments for writing help; Methods for use in data collection, analysis or figures | None from ICMJE or NLM. University College Dublin treats a chat as an unreferenced in-text citation by default (UCD Library) |
In IEEE, if your instructor insists on a numbered entry, the Greenwich adaptation uses: [1] OpenAI. Response to “What is the definition of academic integrity?” ChatGPT, January 7, 2026, followed by the share URL. That format comes from a university library, not from IEEE.
How to cite ChatGPT in legal writing: AGLC and OSCOLA
AGLC (Australia). The Australian Guide to Legal Citation, 4th edition (2018), has no rule for AI, and AGLC5 has not been published. The Melbourne University Law Review’s interim advice treats AI output as written correspondence under rule 7.12 (University of Melbourne Library; confirmed by Monash University Library):
| Part | Example |
|---|---|
| Footnote | Output from ChatGPT, OpenAI to John Smith, 23 February 2023. |
| Bibliography (under Other) | OpenAI, ChatGPT to John Smith, Output, 23 February 2023 |
Put the prompt in the footnote text or an appendix.
OSCOLA (UK). OSCOLA 5th edition, published by Bloomsbury in 2026, includes guidance on output from generative AI, according to its publisher. The University of Greenwich’s adaptation gives the footnote: ChatGPT, response to prompt ‘What is the definition of academic integrity?’, Open AI (7 January 2026). Check the OSCOLA 5 text itself before submitting, as rule numbers vary between guides.
How to cite Claude, Gemini, Copilot and Perplexity
The pattern is the same for every chatbot: swap in the company, tool and model.
| Tool | Company (APA author) | APA tool reference | MLA container and version |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | OpenAI | OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com/ | ChatGPT, model [name shown in the app] |
| Claude | Anthropic | Anthropic. (2026). Claude [Large language model]. https://claude.ai/ | Claude, model [name shown in the app] |
| Gemini | Google. (2025). Gemini 3 Flash [Large language model]. https://gemini.google.com/ | Gemini, model [name shown in the app] | |
| Microsoft Copilot | Microsoft | Microsoft. (2026). Copilot [Large language model]. https://copilot.microsoft.com/ | Copilot, Microsoft |
| Perplexity | Perplexity AI | Perplexity AI. (2026). Perplexity [Large language model]. https://www.perplexity.ai/ | Perplexity, Perplexity AI |
The ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity APA entries are APA’s own examples (APA Style). The Claude and Copilot entries apply the same template; in the MLA column, give whichever model you actually used.
Official APA chat examples for Gemini and Perplexity:
Google. (2026, February 10). Essential writing skills for graduates [Generative AI chat]. Gemini 3 Flash. https://gemini.google.com/share/c6ac3628eb98
Perplexity AI. (2026, February 10). Top 10 grammar and writing topics for high school graduates [Generative AI chat]. Perplexity. https://www.perplexity.ai/search/please-generate-a-list-of-the-bGidZICzRi2i0AgwEnN4Ow#0
Perplexity answers usually need the underlying sources cited, not Perplexity. Perplexity links to its sources, and both APA and MLA say to read and cite those sources directly.
How to cite an AI-generated image
MLA: use a figure caption with a description of the prompt, the tool, the model or version, and the date. MLA’s official example: Fig. 1. “Create an expressionist-style image of two people standing on a beach looking at the ocean” prompt, DALL-E, version 3, OpenAI, 23 Sept. 2024, followed by the share URL (MLA Style Center). A Works Cited entry is optional for an image credited in a caption.
Harvard (Cite Them Right): the same template as text, with “image” as the medium: OpenAI (2026) AI-generated image by ChatGPT with prompt ‘[prompt]’, Day Month. Available at: URL (Accessed: date).
APA: APA’s current examples cover chats and tools, not images. Credit the tool in the figure note using the tool reference format.
Journals want image disclosure in the caption. Elsevier requires AI-generated images to be disclosed in the figure caption (Elsevier). For the image tools themselves, see best AI image generators.
Citing AI versus acknowledging AI use
Citation and acknowledgement do different jobs, and many courses now ask for both.
| Citation | Acknowledgement (AI use statement) | |
|---|---|---|
| Covers | Words, ideas or images taken from the AI’s output | How you used AI across the whole piece of work |
| Typical uses | Quoting or paraphrasing a ChatGPT answer | Brainstorming, outlining, feedback, editing, translation |
| Where it goes | In-text citation plus reference list (APA, MLA, Harvard) or note (Chicago) | Cover sheet, appendix, Methods, preface or Acknowledgements |
| Required by | The style guide | Your course, institution or publisher |
MLA says citation alone may not be enough. Its August 2025 post “Beyond Citation: Describing AI Use in Your Work” says AI output is not a source in the traditional sense, and recommends describing how AI was used, such as for brainstorming or drafting help (MLA Style Center).
AI use statement templates from universities:
| Source | Wording |
|---|---|
| Monash University | ”I used [AI tool] to [how used] and [number of iterations/drafts]. I modified the outputs in [ways].” (Monash University) |
| University of Queensland | ”ChatGPT was used for suggestions, brainstorming and editing within this work.” (University of Queensland Library) |
| Elsevier journals | ”During the preparation of this work, the author(s) used [NAME OF TOOL / SERVICE] in order to [REASON]. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the published article.” (Elsevier) |
Keep your evidence. Monash advises students to keep prompts, outputs, drafts and screenshots as a record of how AI was used. A saved share link does part of that job.
Can ChatGPT be listed as an author?
No. Every major style guide and publisher policy rules out AI authorship, because an author must be able to take responsibility for the work.
| Body | Can AI be an author? | Where AI use is disclosed |
|---|---|---|
| APA journals | No: “AI cannot be named as an author on an APA scholarly publication” | Disclosed in the manuscript and cited; Method section or author note |
| COPE | No: AI tools “cannot take responsibility for the submitted work” | Methods or a similar section |
| ICMJE | No: chatbots “should not be listed as authors” | Cover letter and manuscript; Acknowledgments for writing help, Methods for research use |
| Elsevier | No | A separate declaration statement published with the article |
| Springer Nature | No: AI authorship is classed as not permitted | Required; Springer Nature’s own pages differ on the section |
| Taylor & Francis | No: generative AI tools “must not be listed as an author” | An AI usage statement with tool name, version and purpose |
| arXiv | No | Report any significant use in the paper |
The style guides agree. APA uses the company as author, and MLA leaves the author element empty and leads with the prompt. MLA notes that its position follows publisher policies including Cambridge University Press’s.
Never cite the sources ChatGPT gives you without checking them
ChatGPT invents references. A peer-reviewed study in the Journal of Medical Internet Research found that 39.6% of references generated by GPT-3.5 and 28.6% generated by GPT-4 for systematic reviews were hallucinated, and 91.4% of Google Bard’s were (JMIR). Those models are now retired, but newer models still produce fabricated or mismatched references.
Both APA and MLA tell you to cite the original sources, not the AI. MLA advises clicking through to the sources an AI cites and citing those directly, because AI tools “can also hallucinate, or make up, sources” (MLA Style Center). APA’s journal policy makes authors responsible for checking any information and citations an AI provides (APA).
Springer Nature classes fabricated citations as prohibited AI use, alongside fabricated data (Nature Ecology & Evolution policy).
A four-step check takes under a minute per reference: resolve the DOI, search the exact title in quotes on Google Scholar, compare the authors and year against the real record, and run long lists through a reference checker. The full method, and the lookup-based citation tools that avoid the problem, are on our best AI citation generators page.
Common mistakes when citing ChatGPT
| Mistake | Why it is wrong | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Listing ChatGPT as the author | No style guide or publisher accepts AI authorship | APA: OpenAI as author. MLA: start with the prompt |
| Using “(Mar 14 version)” in APA | That is the 2023 format; APA dropped default version numbers in September 2025 | Use the model or tool name |
| Citing chat.openai.com | The current domain is chatgpt.com, and a share link is preferred | Use the chat’s share URL |
| Putting the prompt in an APA reference | APA keeps prompts out of the reference | Describe the prompt in the text; full transcript in an appendix |
| Putting a ChatGPT chat in a Chicago bibliography | CMOS 14.112: chatbot conversations are not usually listed | Use a note |
| Citing a source ChatGPT named without reading it | It may not exist | Find, read and cite the original |
| Deleting the chat after citing it | The share link stops working | Keep the conversation |
| Citing but not acknowledging other AI help | Many courses require an AI use statement for brainstorming or editing | Add an acknowledgement as well |
Frequently asked questions
How do I cite ChatGPT in APA 7th edition?
APA 7th edition cites a specific ChatGPT conversation with OpenAI as author, the date of the chat, the chat title in italics, the description [Generative AI chat], the tool or model name and the share link, for example: OpenAI. (2026, February 10). Top 10 writing topics for high school graduates [Generative AI chat]. ChatGPT. https://chatgpt.com/share/698b9233-1b58-8008-858d-cede516f4240. To cite ChatGPT in general, use OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com/. The in-text citation is (OpenAI, 2026) or OpenAI (2026). This is APA’s current format from September 2025.
How do I cite ChatGPT in MLA format?
MLA 9th edition starts the Works Cited entry with a description of the prompt in quotation marks followed by the word prompt, then the tool in italics, the model, the company, the date and the share link, for example: “Describe the theme of nature in Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park” prompt. ChatGPT, model GPT-4o, OpenAI, 23 Sept. 2024, chatgpt.com/share/66f1b0a0-d704-8000-be9a-85f53c850607. The in-text citation is a shortened prompt in quotation marks, such as (“Describe the theme”). MLA does not treat ChatGPT as an author.
How do I cite ChatGPT in Chicago style?
Chicago 18th edition cites ChatGPT in a note or in the running text, and chatbot conversations are not usually included in the bibliography under section 14.112. The Chicago Manual of Style’s own example note is: ChatGPT, response to “Explain how to make pizza dough from common household ingredients,” OpenAI, January 10, 2026, followed by the link from ChatGPT’s Share button. If the prompt is already in your text, the note can read: Text generated by ChatGPT, OpenAI, January 10, 2026, followed by the link.
How do I cite ChatGPT in Harvard referencing?
Cite Them Right Harvard, used by most UK and Australian universities, gives the company, year, medium, tool, prompt, date, share link and access date, for example: OpenAI (2026) AI-generated text by ChatGPT with prompt ‘what is the definition of academic integrity?’, 7 January. Available at: followed by the share URL and (Accessed: 7 January 2026). The in-text citation is (OpenAI, 2026). Harvard has no single owner, so check which Harvard guide your institution uses.
Do I need to cite ChatGPT if I only used it for ideas or editing?
Usually you need to acknowledge it even if you do not cite it. MLA recommends describing AI use such as brainstorming and drafting help beyond formal citation, and most universities, including Monash University and the University of Queensland, require an AI use statement for these uses. APA says AI built into everyday software, such as Copilot in Microsoft Word, generally needs no citation or disclosure. Your course or publisher policy decides what must be declared.
Is ChatGPT a credible source to cite?
ChatGPT is not a credible source for facts. It can be cited as the source of its own output, such as a quoted response or a generated example, but not as evidence for a factual claim. A 2024 study in the Journal of Medical Internet Research found that 28.6% of GPT-4’s references for systematic reviews were hallucinated. ICMJE states that referencing AI-generated material as the primary source is not acceptable. Cite the original sources instead.
Can ChatGPT be listed as an author?
No. APA, MLA, COPE, ICMJE, Elsevier, Springer Nature, Taylor & Francis and arXiv all rule out listing ChatGPT or any AI tool as an author. Their reasoning is that an author must take responsibility for the work, which an AI tool cannot do. APA cites OpenAI as the author of a ChatGPT reference, and MLA leaves the author element empty.
How do I get a link to my ChatGPT conversation?
Open the conversation in ChatGPT, select the Share icon, preview the chat, choose whether to show your name, and copy the link. The link is a snapshot of the conversation up to that moment, and later messages do not appear. Anyone with the link can view it, and deleting the conversation deletes the link, according to OpenAI’s shared links FAQ.
What if ChatGPT will not let me share the chat?
Use the tool’s general URL instead of a share link. MLA’s guidance says to give the general URL for the tool if a stable, shareable link is not available, and APA’s tool reference uses https://chatgpt.com/. Keep a copy of the full conversation, such as a screenshot or exported transcript, and include it as an appendix if your instructor asks.
How do I cite Claude or Gemini?
Use the same format as ChatGPT with the developer as the company. In APA: Anthropic. (2026). Claude [Large language model]. https://claude.ai/ for the tool, or Google. (2026, February 10). Essential writing skills for graduates [Generative AI chat]. Gemini 3 Flash. https://gemini.google.com/share/c6ac3628eb98 for a specific Gemini chat (APA’s own example). In MLA, put the tool in italics and the model in the version element, for example Claude, followed by the model name and Anthropic.
Do I need a version number when citing ChatGPT?
Not in APA by default. APA’s September 2025 guidance stopped advising a version number in every AI reference; use the model name if you know it or the tool name alone. MLA asks for the model name “as specifically as possible” in its version element, such as model GPT-4o. The old “(Mar 14 version)” date format is from 2023 guidance.
Does Canvas detect AI?
Canvas does not have its own AI-writing detector, but many schools add Turnitin to Canvas, which gives instructors an AI writing report. The University of Melbourne states that Turnitin in Canvas lets staff check for AI-generated content and that the AI Writing report is visible only to instructors. Whether it is switched on depends on your institution.
Where do I put an AI disclosure statement in a journal article?
It depends on the publisher. ICMJE puts writing help in the Acknowledgments and research use in the Methods. COPE says the Methods or a similar section. Elsevier asks for a separate declaration statement that is published with the article. IEEE requires disclosure in the acknowledgments section. Check the target journal’s author guidelines before you submit.