Cite a YouTube Video in APA Format

Learn how to cite a YouTube video in APA format.

You can build the citation yourself, step by step, or use a citation generator such as Zotero and then check the details.

  • Manual Citation – Build a YouTube video citation step by step, with examples.
  • Citation Generator – See how Zotero creates APA-formatted YouTube video citations.
  • Common Mistakes – Check typical YouTube video citation errors and how to fix them.
  • Quiz – Test your understanding of YouTube video citations.
  • FAQs – Find quick answers to common questions.

Have a question or suggestion? Add it in the Comments section below.

How to Cite a YouTube Video in APA Format Yourself

A YouTube video reference list entry has four main parts: Author, Date, Title, and Source.

The basic format is:
Author or channel name. (Year, Month Day). Title of video [Video]. YouTube. URL

Start with the person, group, or channel that uploaded the video. Then add the upload date, title, and source details.

Author

The author is the first element in an APA-formatted reference list entry.

For a YouTube video, the author is the person, group, or channel that uploaded the video.

This may be one person, an organization, a company, a university, a government department, or a YouTube channel.

Do not automatically use the speaker or presenter as the author.

The uploader also appears in parenthetical in-text citations and narrative in-text citations.

Select the author/uploader type that applies to your YouTube video.

Quick Examples

Parenthetical in-text citation
Subtitles and dubbing often use different wording because they serve different purposes (Scott, 2023).

Narrative in-text citation
Scott (2023) explains why subtitles and dubbing often use different wording.

Reference list entry
Scott, T. (2023, December 4). Why don’t subtitles match dubbing? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU9sHwNKc2c

In the parenthetical or narrative in-text citation, use the uploader’s last name and the year.

The full upload date appears only in the reference list entry.

Parenthetical In-text Citation
Write the uploader’s last name and the year in parentheses.

Separate the last name and year with a comma and a space.

See Figure A1-1 for an example of a parenthetical in-text citation.

Example of a parenthetical in-text citation, “(Scott, 2023),” showing the year after the uploader’s last name, separated by a commaFigure A1-1: Parenthetical In-text Citation for YouTube Video

Narrative In-text Citation
Write the uploader’s last name in the sentence.

Write the year in parentheses straight after the name.

See Figure A1-2 for an example of a narrative in-text citation.

Example of a narrative in-text citation, “Scott (2023) explains…” showing the year in parentheses after the uploader’s last nameFigure A1-2: Narrative In-text Citation for Youtube Video

Reference List Entry
Format the author part of the reference list entry as follows:

  • Write the uploader’s last name, followed by a comma and a space.
  • Write the uploader's initial(s), followed by a period and space.

See Figure A1-3 for an example of a reference list entry.

Example APA-formatted reference entry with uploader "Scott, T." and placeholders for date, title, and sourceFigure A1-3: Personal Uploader of a YouTube Video

Quick Examples

Parenthetical in-text citation
Artificial intelligence is already used in many everyday technologies (CrashCourse, 2019).

Narrative in-text citation
CrashCourse (2019) explains that artificial intelligence is already used in many everyday technologies.

Reference list entry
CrashCourse. (2019, August 9). What is artificial intelligence? Crash Course AI #1 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0_lo_GDcFw

Use this format when the YouTube video was uploaded by a group, organization, company, university, government department, or YouTube channel.

In the parenthetical or narrative in-text citation, use the group, organization, or channel name and the year.

The full upload date appears only in the reference list entry.

Parenthetical In-text Citation
Format the parenthetical in-text citation as follows:

  • Write the group, organization, or channel name and the year in parentheses.
  • Separate the name and year with a comma and a space.

See Figure A2-1 for an example of a parenthetical in-text citation for a group, organization, or channel uploader.

Example of a parenthetical in-text citation, “(CrashCourse, 2019),” showing the year after the uploader’s last name, separated by a commaFigure A2-1: Parenthetical In-text Citation for YouTube Video

Narrative In-text Citation
Format the narrative in-text citation as follows:

  • Write the group, organization, or channel name in the sentence.
  • Write the year in parentheses straight after the name.

See Figure A2-2 for an example of a narrative in-text citation for a group, organization, or channel uploader.

Example of a narrative in-text citation, “CrashCourse (2019) explains…” showing the year in parentheses after the uploader’s last nameFigure A2-2: Narrative In-text Citation for YouTube Video

Reference List Entry

Format the author section of the reference list entry as follows:

  • Write the group, organization, or channel name exactly as it appears as the uploader.
  • Place a period after the uploader.

See Figure A2-3 for an example of a reference list entry for a group, organization, or channel uploader.

Example APA-formatted reference entry with group uploader "CrashCourse." and placeholders for date, title, and sourceFigure A2-3: Group Uploader of a YouTube Video

Date

The date is the second element in an APA reference list entry.

In parenthetical and narrative in-text citations, include only the year of the upload.

In the reference list entry, use the upload date shown with the video.

Quick Examples

Parenthetical in-text citation
Artificial intelligence is already used in many everyday technologies (CrashCourse, 2019).

Narrative in-text citation
CrashCourse (2019) explains that artificial intelligence is already used in many everyday technologies.

Reference list entry
CrashCourse. (2019, August 9). What is artificial intelligence? Crash Course AI #1 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0_lo_GDcFw

Include a parenthetical or narrative in-text citation.

Parenthetical In-text Citation
Write the year only after the uploader's name inside the parentheses.

See Figure YMD-1 for an example of a parenthetical in-text citation.

Example of a parenthetical in-text citation, “(CrashCourse, 2019),” showing the year only after the uploader’s last nameFigure YMD-1: Parenthetical In-text Citation for YouTube Video

Narrative In-text Citation
Write the year only within parentheses after the uploader's name.

See Figure YMD-2 for an example of a narrative in-text citation.

Example of a narrative in-text citation, “CrashCourse (2019) explains…” showing the year onlyFigure YMD-2: Narrative In-text Citation for YouTube Video

Reference List Entry
Write the date section of the reference list entry as follows:

  • Write the year, month, and day inside parentheses.
  • Separate the year and month with a comma and a space.
  • Write the day after the month.
  • Add a period after the closing parenthesis.

Write the month in full. Do not abbreviate it.

See Figure YMD-3 for an example of how the date appears in a reference list entry.

Example “CrashCourse. (2019, August 9).” showing a reference list entry with a year, month, and day date after the uploader sectionFigure YMD-3: Reference List Date Entry for a YouTube (Year, Month, and Day)

Title

The title is the third element in an APA reference list entry. It shows what the YouTube video is called.

In the reference list entry, write the video title in italics and sentence case.

In sentence case, capitalize the first word of the title, the first word after a colon, em dash, or end punctuation, and any proper nouns.

After the title, write [Video] in square brackets.

The video title is italicized. The description [Video] is not italicized.

Example:

Scott, T. (2015, May 21). Why computers suck at translation [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAgp7nXdkLU

CrashCourse. (2019, August 9). What is artificial intelligence? Crash Course AI #1 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0_lo_GDcFw

Reference List Entry

Format the title section of the reference list entry as follows:

  • Write the YouTube video title in sentence case. Capitalize the first word of the title, the first word after a colon, em dash, or end punctuation, and any proper nouns.
  • After the title, write [Video] in square brackets.
  • Add a period.

See Figure T-1 for an example.

Example of a YouTube Video title “Why computers suck at translation” in a reference list entry, showing the title in italics, sentence case and followed by the descriptor [Video].Figure T-1: YouTube Video Title in a Reference List Entry

Source

The source is the fourth element in an APA reference list entry. It tells the reader where the YouTube video can be found.

Reference List Entry

Format the source section of the reference list entry as follows:

  • Write YouTube after [Video] followed by a period.
  • Add the URL.
  • Do not add a period after the URL.

See Figure S-1 for an example.

Example of the source section in a reference list entry, “YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAgp7nXdkLU” showing the video streaming site name, YouTube, followed by the URLFigure S-1: YouTube Video Source

The full citation is:

Scott, T. (2015, May 21). Why computers suck at translation [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAgp7nXdkLU


Zotero - a Free Citation Generator

Zotero is useful when you need to cite a YouTube video in APA format quickly and accurately.

With Zotero, you can:

  • Enter the video's citation information into your Zotero library.
  • Add in-text citations straight into your Word document.
  • Create an APA-formatted reference list automatically in your Word document.

Learn how to use Zotero to easily cite a YouTube video in APA format.


Common YouTube Video Citation Errors

Here are common errors to watch for when you cite a YouTube video in APA format, and how to fix them:


Quiz (15 Questions)

The quiz below helps you practise how to cite a YouTube video in APA format by checking your understanding of uploaders, dates, titles, source information, in-text citations, and reference list entries.


Summary

You can cite a YouTube video in APA format in two main ways:

Create the citation yourself
This helps you understand the APA 7th edition formatting rules. You enter the uploader, upload date, video title, [Video], YouTube, and the URL. This is a good way to learn how APA formatting works.

Use a citation generator such as Zotero
Zotero can collect your source details and create the reference automatically. It is fast and useful for large assignments. However, you still need to check the author, date, title, and source because citation tools are not perfect.

Both methods work well. However, learning how to cite a YouTube video in APA format yourself gives you more confidence when you later use automated tools.


Frequently Asked Questions

What date do I use when I cite a YouTube video in APA format?

Use the upload date shown with the YouTube video. In the reference list entry, include the year, month, and day.

In the parenthetical or narrative in-text citation, use only the year.

Do not use the date you watched the video.

Where do I find the correct date for a YouTube video?

Look near the video title or in the video description area. On YouTube, you may need to click “...more” to show the full upload date.

Use the date shown with the video.

Who is the author of a YouTube video in APA format?

The author is the person, group, organization, or channel that uploaded the video.

Do not automatically use the speaker or presenter as the author. If the video is uploaded by a channel such as CrashCourse, use the channel name as the author.

What do I italicize when I cite a YouTube video in APA format?

Italicize the video title in the reference list entry.

Do not italicize [Video], YouTube, or the URL. Do not italicize the title in the parenthetical in-text citation or narrative in-text citation.


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