How to Cite ChatGPT and AI: APA, MLA, and Chicago Guidelines

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Under the APA guidelines updated in September 2025, you cite a specific chat session: the author is the corporate creator, followed by the date, the title of the chat, the description [Generative AI chat], the tool name, and a share link. In contrast, MLA and Chicago do not treat AI as an author - you provide a prompt description or a footnote detailing the tool and date.

This guide is part of our AI in education series, current as of October 12, 2026. At the end, I tested whether three budget LLMs could generate the proper APA citation pattern themselves - the results are revealing.

The Core Principle: Cite the Tool Usage, Not the “Source”

All major academic style guides agree on a foundational rule: an AI chat response is not a peer-reviewed scholarly source. If an AI points you toward a fact or an empirical study, locate the original publication and cite that primary source directly. You should include an AI citation entry only when:

• You quote or paraphrase text generated directly by the model (e.g., analyzing model outputs in your research paper);
• The AI was utilized for structural editing, translation, proofreading, or code generation, and the citation style or your institution mandates disclosure;
• Your university or publisher requires a formal AI disclosure declaration in your methodology or preface (as detailed in our analysis on AI detection tools).

APA Style: The Updated 2025 Standards

On September 9, 2025, the APA published a series of updates on citing generative AI, followed by a September 15, 2025 update to its reference guide “How to cite ChatGPT”. Key highlights include:

• You can cite a specific conversational session if a persistent share link is available;
• Model version numbers are no longer required in the reference list entry;
• The creator company (OpenAI, Google, Anthropic) is designated as the author, not the model itself;
• When the AI served strictly as a background tool (for text editing, language translation, or coding), cite the software/tool itself rather than a conversation.

Template for citing a specific chat conversation:

Company. (Year, Month Day). Chat title [Generative AI chat]. Tool name. URL

Example for a ChatGPT conversation (the chat title should be italicized in final formatting):

OpenAI. (2026, October 3). Causes of inflation in Poland [Generative AI chat]. ChatGPT. https://chatgpt.com/share/[identifier]

In-text citation: (OpenAI, 2026) or “OpenAI (2026) suggests…”.

Template for citing the software tool (when used for editing, translation, or scripting):

Company. (Year). Tool name [Large language model]. URL
OpenAI. (2026). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com

MLA and Chicago Styles

MLA Style does not treat an AI tool as an author. Instead, MLA begins with a description of the prompt enclosed in quotation marks, followed by the tool name in italics, version info (if relevant), company, date, and URL:

"Prompt description" prompt. Tool name, version, Company, date, URL.
"Explain the causes of inflation in Poland in 2026" prompt. ChatGPT, OpenAI, 3 Oct. 2026, https://chatgpt.com/share/[identifier].

MLA explicitly reminds researchers: if an AI chat cites underlying publications, verify them and cite the original sources directly.

The Chicago Manual of Style (18th Edition, Q&A) generally advises handling AI citations within footnotes or endnotes. A full entry in the bibliography is typically reserved for instances where a publicly accessible, persistent share link exists:

1. Text generated by ChatGPT, OpenAI, January 10, 2026, https://chatgpt.com/share/[identifier].

Step-by-Step Citation Workflow

1. Check the style guide mandated by your institution or target journal (APA, MLA, or Chicago).
2. Save the shared chat link immediately after your session ends (via the Share function in ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini). Note that temporary or incognito chats do not generate permanent shareable URLs.
3. Log the date, session title, and exact tool name. These metadata elements are essential across all standards.
4. Cross-reference every fact and cited reference against an academic index, and cite the primary works. Learn more about effective discovery tools in our guide to AI tools for literature search.
5. Include an AI reference only where you quote or analyze generated output, or where the formal style requires full software disclosure.
6. Complete an AI disclosure statement in your paper’s methodology or introduction if your institution requires transparency on tool usage and scope.

Test: Can AI Generate Its Own Correct APA Citation?

On October 12, 2026, I tested three low-cost language models via OpenRouter. The test prompt was administered in Polish (asking for an APA reference and in-text citation for a ChatGPT chat from October 3, 2026 titled “Causes of inflation in Poland” with a shareable URL). The total test cost was approximately $0.004 USD.

Result: none of the three models produced a fully compliant 2025 APA citation out of the box. All three properly formatted the in-text citation, but the reference list entries required manual correction. Practical takeaway: rely on official documentation or curated templates rather than expecting an LLM to reliably generate the latest citation styles unaided.

Ready-to-Use Citation Prompt Template

Insert my data into this exact APA citation template without altering the structure outside the bracketed fields:
Company. (Year, Month Day). Chat title [Generative AI chat]. Tool name. URL
Data:
- Company: [OpenAI / Google / Anthropic]
- Chat Date: [Year, Full Month, Day]
- Chat Title: [Title]
- Tool Name: [ChatGPT / Gemini / Claude]
- Share Link: [URL]
Also provide the in-text parenthetical citation as (Company, Year). Format the chat title in italics.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to state the model version, such as GPT-5?

In APA style (since September 2025), model version numbers are no longer required in the reference list. MLA encourages providing the version if known, while Chicago leaves version specifics optional unless vital to your analysis.

Can ChatGPT be listed as an author in my bibliography?

No. APA designates the company behind the model (such as OpenAI) as the author. MLA and Chicago do not treat generative AI systems as authors under any circumstance.

How do I cite ChatGPT if I cannot generate a public share link?

In APA style, fall back to citing the tool itself as standalone software: OpenAI. (Year). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com. In Chicago style, a standard footnote without a bibliography entry is sufficient.

Do I have to cite AI if it was only used to proofread grammar and punctuation?

This depends on publisher and institutional policies. An increasing number of academic bodies and universities mandate disclosing all generative assistance - including copyediting - in an acknowledgment section or methodology note.

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References

• Citing generative AI in APA Style (APA Style Blog, Sept. 9, 2025)
• How to cite ChatGPT (APA Style Blog, updated Sept. 15, 2025)
• Citing generative AI, updated and revised (MLA Style Center)
• Chicago Manual of Style Q&A - citing AI (University of Chicago Press)
• University of Warsaw Teaching Council Resolution No. 75 on AI in Higher Education (Sept. 11, 2026)
• Cracow University of Economics Regulation R.0211.12.2025 on AI Usage Disclosure (Feb. 24, 2025)

See also

• Best AI tools for academic literature
• Using AI for undergraduate theses
• and our deep dive into AI hallucinations

Kinetyra