Cite web and social media in APA 7

You must include an in-text citation and reference list entry for a website/webpage if you mention specific information from it, whether you are paraphrasing or quoting directly.

In-text citations

• When making a general reference to a website as a whole (i.e., not to a specific document, page or post on the site), give the URL in round brackets after the mention; no reference entry is needed.
• When paraphrasing, include the author(s) last name and the year of publication in round brackets.
• If the name, i.e. corporate author of an organisation or government body, is long and is well-known by an abbreviation, give its full name, then the abbreviation in square brackets in the first in-text citation, e.g. (Department of Education and Training [DET], 2020). In all subsequent in-text citations, give the abbreviation only. e.g. (DET, 2020). Only do this if you use the abbreviated name in your sentences.
• If you mention the author(s) last name in the text, include the year of publication in brackets immediately after the last name.
• Place direct quotes between double quotation marks (" "). 
• Many electronic sources do not provide page numbers unless they are in PDF format. In this case, use the paragraph number (you will have to count them yourself).
• If quoting from a website that is not a PDF document, use the name of the section or the paragraph number as part of the in-text reference.

Citation format	Example
Paraphrase	The My Aged Care website offers many support services for aged care including ... (Department of Health, 2018). The design of the curriculum ... (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], n.d.) According to the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA, n.d.) curriculum design should ... According to the World Health Organization (2018) ... Individuals with type 1 diabetes have an autoimmune condition affecting the heath of the pancreas limiting its ability to secrete insulin needed by the body (Stemsrud, 2023).
Direct quote	According to the Department of Health (2018) the services offered by My Aged Care "involve a wide range of people to make sure it meets users’ needs" (para. 1). "Type 2 diabetes is a condition where the pancreas still produces insulin, but the body doesn’t use it appropriately. In the past, this type of diabetes usually only occurred in adults” (Stemsrud , 2023, para. 2).

Reference list 

• Give the name of the person or group who created the content on the page.
• Give the year or specific date of the page (as displayed on the individual page) or use the copyright date, last updated date, or (n.d.) as appropriate.
• Give the title of the page. If there is no title, give a short descriptive phrase in square brackets. If the material is non-routine, add a description of the form in square brackets.
• Give URL of the page (archived URL if available; click date stamp to access) or of the home page, whichever is more direct/reliable.
• Give the name of the corporate author in full (not as an abbreviation or acronym) in the reference list. Include only the specific agency responsible for the publication - do not include the name of parent organisations (e.g. State Government of Victoria) unless you need to avoid ambiguity.
• Do not include the abbreviation of the corporate author of an organisation or government body but write the name in full. 

General treatment

Reference format	Example
Template	Author. (Year/Date). Title [Form, if needed]. Site name. URL
Reference list entry	Stemsrud, K. (2023, November 23). Diabetes: What you need to know - and do. Mayo Clinic Health System. https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/diabetes-what-you-need-to-know-and-do

No date

If the content changes over time, use n.d. for the publication date.

Reference format	Example
Template	Author. (Year/Date). Title [Form, if needed]. Site name. URL
Reference list entry	Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. (n.d.). English as an additional language (EAL). https://victoriancurriculum.vcaa.vic.edu.au/english/english-as-an-additional-language-eal/

Site name is the same as the author

When the site name is the same as the author, omit the site name to avoid repetition.

Reference format	Example
Template	Author. (Year/Date). Title [Form, if needed]. Site name. URL
Reference list entry	World Health Organization. (2018, March). Questions and answers on immunization and vaccine safety. https://www.who.int/mongolia/health-topics/vaccines/faq

With a retrieval date

Provide a retrieval date for references where the content changes over time, such as for non-archived social media pages.

Reference format	Example
Template	Author. (Year/Date). Title [Form, if needed]. Site name. Retrieved Month Day, Year from URL
Reference list entry	Department of Health. (n.d.). Coronavirus (COVID-19) current situation and case numbers. Retrieved August 13, 2020 from https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert/coronavirus-covid-19-current-situation-and-case-numbers

Online curriculum resources examples

Online curriculum resources examples can be found in the Education: Early Childhood, Primary and Secondary subject guide.

When making a general reference to a website as a whole (i.e., not to a specific document, page, or post on the site), give the URL in round brackets after the mention; no reference entry is needed.

In text citations

Citation format	Example
Paraphrase	The video-sharing website YouTube (http://www.youtube.com) is …

Reference list

No reference entry required.

This category covers posts and comments that are recoverable. Posts that are protected by privacy settings should be treated as personal communications.

In-text citations

• When paraphrasing, include the author(s) last name and the year of publication in round brackets. 
• If you mention the author(s) last name in the text, include the year of publication in brackets immediately after the last name.
• Place direct quotes between double quotation marks (" ") and provide the paragraph number.

Citation format	Example
Paraphrase	A Pennsylvanian student has been buying WMD ingredients … (Daly, 2014). Daly (2014) asserts that a Pennsylvanian student buys WMD ingredients …
Direct quote	"A Pennsylvanian student has been buying ingredients on Amazon for a WMD … " (Daly, 2014, para. 5).

Reference list 

• If both an author’s real name and username are known, provide the real name of the individual (in inverted format) or group, followed by the username in square brackets.
• If their real name is unknown, use just their username without brackets.
• A retrieval date is not needed for items with a specific associated date (e.g., individual tweets, posts, etc.), but is needed for whole feeds/pages because the content will change.

Blog post

• Give the exact date of the post. Give only the year if using an entire feed or page and not a specific post.
• Give the full URL of the post. If the item is archived, give the archived version URL (click the post’s date stamp).

Reference format	Example
Template	Author. (Year, Month Day). Title. Name of blog. URL
Reference list entry	Daly, Michael. (2014, January 29). Pennsylvania student proves you could buy ingredients for a WMD on Amazon. The Daily Beast. https://www.thedailybeast.com/pennsylvania-student-proves-you-could-buy-ingredients-for-a-wmd-on-amazon

Whole blog

Reference format	Example
Template	Author. (Year). Name of blog. URL
Reference list entry	Daly, Michael. (2014). The Daily Beast. https://www.thedailybeast.com

This category covers posts and comments that are recoverable. Posts that are protected by privacy settings should be treated as personal communications.

In-text citations

• When paraphrasing, include the author(s) last name and the year of publication in round brackets. 
• If you mention the author(s) last name in the text, include the year of publication in brackets immediately after the last name.
• Place direct quotes between double quotation marks (" ") and provide the paragraph number.

Citation format	Example
Paraphrase	A recent announcement by Coles states that … (Coles Supermarket, 2014). Coles Supermarket (2014) is pleased to announce ...
Direct quote	Coles Supermarket CEO announced at a recent promotional event that "Our Coles Brand fresh chicken is 100% RSPCA Approved which means …" (Coles Supermarket, 2014, para 1).

Reference list 

Facebook post

• If both an author’s real name and username are known, provide the real name of the individual (in inverted format) or group, followed by the username in square brackets. If their real name is unknown, use just their username without brackets.
• For social media posts, use up to the first 20 words of the post as the title
• Give the exact date of the post. A retrieval date is not needed for posts as the post has a specific date linked to it.

Reference format	Example
Template	Author. (Year, Month Day). Title [Form]. Website title. URL
Reference list entry	Coles Supermarkets. (2014, January 2). Good news: In another national supermarket first, we’re pleased to announce 100% of our Coles Brand fresh chicken is now [Facebook post]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/coles/posts/639616386102380?stream_ref=10

Facebook page

• If both the author’s real name and username are known, provide the real name of the individual (in inverted format) or group, followed by the username in square brackets. If their real name is unknown, use just their username without brackets.
• Use n.d. (no date) if using an entire feed or page and not a specific post.
• The title will be the page title, e.g. Home, About, Photos.
• Add the form in square brackets to the title, e.g. Facebook post, Facebook page, infographic.
• Give the full URL of the post. If the item is archived, give the archived version URL (click post’s date stamp).
• A retrieval date is needed for whole feeds or pages because the content will change over time.

Reference format	Example
Template	Author. (n.d.). Title [Facebook page]. Website title. Retrieved URL
Reference list entry	Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. (n.d.). Home [Facebook page]. Facebook. Retrieved July 22, 2019 from https://facebook.com/nationalzoo

This category covers posts and comments that are recoverable. Posts that are protected by privacy settings should be treated as personal communications.

In-text citations

• When paraphrasing, include the author(s) last name and the year of publication in round brackets. 
• If you mention the author(s) last name in the text, include the year of publication in brackets immediately after the last name. If no date is available for the item, use (n.d.).
• Place direct quotes between double quotation marks (" ") and provide the paragraph number.
• If the name (i.e. corporate author of an organisation or government body) is long and is well-known by an abbreviation, give its full name, then the abbreviation in square brackets in the first in-text citation, e.g. (National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA], 2018). In all subsequent in-text citations, give the abbreviation only, e.g. (NASA, 2018). Only do this if you use the abbreviated name in your sentences. 

Citation format	Example
Paraphrase	Tingle and the crew undertook numerous activities including a spacewalk … (National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2018). National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA] (2018) posted ...
Direct quote	Tingle and his crewmates completed hundreds of experiments, welcomed four cargo spacecraft delivering several tons of supplies and experiments, and performed spacewalks ... (National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2018).

Reference list 

• Give the real name of the poster. Add their exact screen name in square brackets. If their real name is unknown, just give their screen name without brackets.
• Give the exact date of the post.
• Give up to the first 20 words of the comment as the title.
• Add the form in square brackets to the title.
• Give the full URL of the post. If the item is archived, give the archived version URL (click post’s date stamp).
• Do not include the abbreviation of the corporate author of an organisation or government body but write the name in full.  

Reference format	Example
Template	Author [Screen name]. (Year, Month Day). Title [Form]. Website name. URL
Reference list entry	National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA]. (2018, September 12). I’m NASA astronaut Scott Tingle. Ask me anything about adjusting to being back on Earth after my first spaceflight! [Online forum post]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/9fagqy/ im_nasa_astronaut_scott_tingle_ask_me_anything/

Forum comment when the real name of the author is not known

• When the real name of the author is known, provide it first, in inverted format, followed by the screen name in brackets.
• When the real name of the author is not known, provide only the screen name without brackets (as in the haffy-1223 example).
• Add the form name as comment and original post title in the form section in square brackets to the title.

Reference format	Example
Template	Screen name. (Year, Month Day). Title [Form]. Website name. URL
Reference list entry	haffy-1223. (2018, September 12). What do you think while on the launchpad about to launch? [Comment on the online forum post I’m NASA astronaut Scott Tingle. Ask me anything about adjusting to being back on Earth after my first spaceflight!]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/9fagqy/ im_nasa_astronaut_scott_tingle_ask_me_anything/e5v0027/

This category covers posts and comments that are recoverable. Posts that are protected by privacy settings should be cited as personal communications.

In-text citations

• When paraphrasing, include the author(s) last name and the year of publication in round brackets. 
• If you mention the author(s) last name in the text, include the year of publication in brackets immediately after the last name.
• Place direct quotes between double quotation marks (" ") and provide the paragraph number.

Citation format	Example
Paraphrase	In a recent post on X, Barack Obama paid tribute to Aretha Franklin who was well known as the Queen of Soul (Obama, 2018). Waldron (2025) presented at the former Sunbury Mental Hospital…
Direct quote	"In her voice, we could feel our history, all of it and in every shade—our power and our pain, our darkness and our light, our quest for redemption and our hard-won respect" (Obama, 2018, para. 1).

Reference list 

Post/Video

• Give the real name of the poster, followed by their exact screen name in square brackets. Use just their screen name without brackets if their real name is unknown.
• Give the exact date of the post.
• Provide the first 20 words of the post as the title, in italics. Count a URL, a hashtag, or an emoji as one word each, and include them in the reference if they fall within the first 20 words. Do not italicize emojis.
• Add the form in square brackets to the title.
• Give the full URL of the post.

Reference format	Example
Template	Author [Screen name]. (Year, Month Day). Title [Form]. Website name. URL
Reference list entry	Gates, B. [@BillGates]. (2019, September 7). Today, it’s difficult for researchers to diagnose #Alzheimers patients early enough to intervene. A reliable, easy and accurate diagnostic would [Thumbnail with link attached] [Post]. X. https://x.com/BillGates/status/1170305718425137152 Cook, P. [@chemteacherphil]. (2021, September 17). Fighting fire with fire. #sciencetok #learnontiktok [Video]. TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/@chemteacherphil/video/7008953610872605957

Profile

• Give the real name of the poster, followed by their exact screen name in square brackets. Use just their screen name without brackets if their real name is unknown.
• Use n.d. (no date) if using an entire feed or page and not a specific post.
• The title will be the tab title, usually Tweets for a Twitter feed.
• Add the form "[X profile]" or "[TikTok profile]" in square brackets to the title.
• Give the full URL of the post. If the item is archived, give the archived version URL (click the post’s date stamp).
• A retrieval date is needed for whole feeds because the content will change over time.

Reference format	Example
Template	Author [Screen name]. (n.d.). Title [Form]. Website name. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL
Reference list entry	APA Style [@APA_Style]. (n.d.). Posts [X profile]. X. Retrieved November 8, 2023, from https://x.com/APA_Style The Rock. [@therock]. (n.d.). CEO of #RockTok [TikTok profile]. TikTok. Retrieved February 22, 2022, from https://tiktok.com/@therock

This category covers posts and comments that are recoverable. Cite a temporary post (e.g., Instagram Story) or a livestream (e.g., Instagram Live) that is not archived by its hosting platform and cannot be retrieved by any other means (i.e., recorded and made available online via another hosting site) as a personal communication.

In-text citations

• When paraphrasing, include the author(s) last name and the year of publication in round brackets. 
• If you mention the author(s) last name in the text, include the year of publication in brackets immediately after the last name.
• Place direct quotes between double quotation marks (" ") and provide the paragraph number.

Citation format	Example
Paraphrase	...was subsequently announced on Instagram (Smith, 2025). Smith (2025) shared her opinion of...
Direct quote	"In her voice, we could feel our history, all of it and in every shade—our power and our pain, our darkness and our light, our quest for redemption and our hard-won respect" (Obama, 2018, para. 1).

Reference list 

Instagram photo

• Give the real name of the poster, followed by their exact screen name in square brackets. Use just their screen name without brackets if their real name is unknown.
• Give the exact date of the post.
• Provide the first 20 words of the post as the title, in italics. Count a URL, a hashtag, or an emoji as one word each, and include them in the reference if they fall within the first 20 words. Do not italicize emojis.
• Add the form in square brackets to the title.
• Give the full URL of the post.

Reference format	Example
Template	Author [Screen name]. (Year, Month Day). Title [Form]. Website name. URL
Reference list entry	Bunn, J. [@janebunnofficial]. (2024, May 11). I’ve finally seen an aurora! Fabulous with the naked eye, absolutely amazing on camera. [Photograph]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/C608mwlPeuU The Age [@theageaustralia].  (2025, February, 14). When it comes to shade, a thin line neatly dissects Melbourne’s east and west.⁠ [Photograph]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/DGCoetNsXge

Instagram video

• Give the real name of the poster, followed by their exact screen name in square brackets. Use just their screen name without brackets if their real name is unknown.
• Give the exact date of the post.
• Provide the first 20 words of the post as the title, in italics. Count a URL, a hashtag, or an emoji as one word each, and include them in the reference if they fall within the first 20 words. Do not italicize emojis.
• Add the form in square brackets to the title.
• Give the full URL of the video.

Reference format	Example
Template	Author [Screen name]. (Year, Month Day). Title [Form]. Website name. URL
Reference list entry	Blomdahl, C. [@sejsejlija].  (2025, February 13). Oh, to be a winter dog on his first cabin trip of the season 🥹🌨️.♡ #svalbard #longyearbyen #cabinlife [Video]. Instagram.  https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGBc7qjIxwM Fed Uni Current Students. [@fedunicurrentstudents]. (2025, January 30).  Need help? 🤔 The Peer Support Desk is here for you. [Video]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/DFbkpEbzCVv/

Profile

• Use the name of the profile page you want to cite in the title element of the reference (e.g., “Posts,” “Reels,” “Tagged”).
• Include the description “[Instagram profile]” in square brackets.
• Provide a retrieval date because the content is designed to change over time and is not archived.
• Provide the URL of the page.

Reference format	Example
Template	Author [Screen name]. (n.d.). Title [Form]. Website name. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL
Reference list entry	Kelly, B. [@brodenkellyismyname]. (n.d.). Reels [Instagram profile]. Retrieved February 14, 2025, from https://www.instagram.com/brodenkellyismyname/ Wolff, H. [@honor_wolff]. (n.d.). Posts [Instagram profile]. Retrieved February 13, 2025, from https://www.instagram.com/honor_wolff

Instagram highlight

• Include the description “[Highlight]” in square brackets.
• Provide a retrieval date because the content is designed to change over time (users can add or remove stories from the highlight) and is not archived.
• Provide the URL of the highlight.

Reference format	Example
Template	Author [Screen name]. (n.d.). Title [Highlight]. Website name. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL
Reference list entry	State Library of Victoria [library_vic]. (n.d.). Our spaces [Highlight]. Instagram. Retrieved February 10, 2025, from https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18007255633264841/