- The two APA formats side by side
- How to cite ChatGPT as a tool
- How to cite a specific ChatGPT chat
- Quoting ChatGPT inside your essay
- A worked example
- Citing Gemini, Claude and other chatbots
- Why it isn't a personal communication
- The mistake that sinks essays
- Check your instructor's rules first
- My verdict
- Frequently asked questions
To cite ChatGPT in APA style, list OpenAI as the author, the year in brackets, ChatGPT in italics with the label [Large language model] and the tool's web address, then cite it in your text as (OpenAI, year). If you quote one specific conversation, APA now lets you cite that chat by its date, title and share link instead.
Citing ChatGPT used to be awkward, because nobody else could see your conversation. That changed when ChatGPT added share links, and APA Style updated its advice to match. So there are now two formats: one for the tool in general and one for a single chat. Here's which to use, the exact patterns from APA's own guidance, and the mistakes that lose marks.
The two APA formats side by side
| When to use it | Reference pattern | In-text |
|---|---|---|
| You used ChatGPT generally, or can't share the chat | OpenAI. (year). ChatGPT [Large language model]. Web address of the tool | (OpenAI, year) |
| You quote or rely on one specific conversation | OpenAI. (year, month day). Title of chat [Generative AI chat]. ChatGPT. Share link of the chat | (OpenAI, year) |
Both follow APA's usual author, date, title and source order. The author is the company that makes the tool, not you and not the chatbot.
How to cite ChatGPT as a tool
- Write OpenAI. as the author.
- Add the year in brackets. APA says this is the year the tool was most recently updated, and if you're not sure you can ask the AI or use the copyright year on the site or app.
- Write ChatGPT in italics as the title.
- Add the description in square brackets: [Large language model].
- Finish with the address of the tool.
APA built this pattern from the software template in Section 10.10 of its Publication Manual, which is why it looks like a reference for a computer program rather than a book.
How to cite a specific ChatGPT chat
In its newer generative AI guidance, APA explains that it originally recommended citing only the tool because chats couldn't be retrieved. Now that ChatGPT gives each chat a share link and a title, you can reference the conversation itself:
- Open the chat and create a share link from the share option.
- Write OpenAI. as the author, then the full date of the chat in brackets: year, month and day.
- Add the chat's title in italics, in sentence case, followed by [Generative AI chat].
- Add the tool name, ChatGPT, then paste the share link.
One thing APA points out that most guides skip: anyone who opens your share link can carry on the conversation. In the tools APA tested, those extra messages were saved only for the person who added them, so your readers still see the original chat.
Quoting ChatGPT inside your essay
APA's advice is to say how you used the tool, give the prompt you typed, then quote the part of the answer you're using, followed by the in-text citation. In a research paper that explanation belongs in the Method section. In an essay or reaction paper it can go in your introduction.
If the answer is long, put the full text in an appendix and point to it. APA recommends this because ChatGPT gives a different answer each time, even to the same prompt, so the appendix is the only way a reader can see exactly what you saw.
A worked example
APA's own example shows the whole pattern in action. The writer explains that they asked ChatGPT whether the left brain and right brain divide is real or a metaphor, quotes the short part of the answer they want to discuss, and closes the sentence with (OpenAI, 2023). The reference list then carries the OpenAI entry, and the full conversation goes in an appendix so the reader can see everything ChatGPT said, not just the quoted line.
If you prefer a narrative citation, name the company in the sentence instead, as in 'OpenAI (year) suggested...', exactly as you would with any other author. Either way, the citation points to OpenAI, never to 'ChatGPT' on its own.
Citing Gemini, Claude and other chatbots
The same format works for any AI chat tool. In APA's examples the author is always the company behind the tool: Google for a Gemini chat, Anthropic for a Claude chat, Perplexity AI for a Perplexity search and OpenAI for ChatGPT. Swap in the right company, the tool or model name and the share link, and you're done. If you're comparing answers from different assistants, my guide to using Gemini shows how its sharing works.
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Why it isn't a personal communication
Normally, sources your reader can't retrieve, like an email or a conversation, are cited as personal communications. APA rules that out for ChatGPT because there's no person communicating. You're sharing an algorithm's output, so you credit the company that made the algorithm.
The mistake that sinks essays
Never cite a source ChatGPT gave you without finding it yourself. When the APA Style team asked ChatGPT for references, one of the five it supplied didn't appear to be a real article. If you cite a paper you haven't seen, you're citing ChatGPT's guess, not the paper. Find the original, read it and cite that directly.
Check your instructor's rules first
APA is clear that passing AI-generated work off as your own would be considered unethical, and for students that means academic misconduct. Whether you can use ChatGPT at all is your instructor's or publisher's call, so read the assignment rules before you worry about formatting. If you're using ChatGPT to research rather than write, my guide to where ChatGPT gets its information explains why its answers need checking.
My verdict
Cite the tool when you used ChatGPT in a general way, and cite the specific chat when you quote it, using the share link. Put long answers in an appendix, and never let a ChatGPT reference into your bibliography until you've found the real source yourself. That last habit protects you far more than getting the brackets right.
Frequently asked questions
How do you cite ChatGPT in APA?
Use OpenAI. (year). ChatGPT [Large language model]. followed by the tool's address, with ChatGPT in italics and an in-text citation of (OpenAI, year).
Can you cite a specific ChatGPT conversation?
Yes. APA now allows OpenAI. (year, month day). Title of chat [Generative AI chat]. ChatGPT. followed by the chat's share link.
What year do I use when citing ChatGPT?
APA says to use the year the tool was most recently updated, or the copyright year on the site or app if you can't tell.
Is ChatGPT a personal communication in APA?
No. APA says there's no person communicating, so you credit OpenAI with a reference and in-text citation.
Should I include the ChatGPT prompt in my paper?
Yes. APA recommends giving the prompt you used, then the relevant generated text, and putting long responses in an appendix.
