APA 7th edition has a specific format for YouTube videos that's slightly different from other web sources. Here's exactly how to do it, with a copy-ready example.
APA 7th edition YouTube citation format
Channel Name. (Year, Month Day). Title of video [Video]. YouTube. URL
Example: Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (2024, January 22). Why most diets fail [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxxxx
📚APA Citation Generator
Generate APA citations for YouTube videos, journal articles, books, and websites — free
Key rules for YouTube citations in APA
- Author: Use the channel name, not the person's real name (unless the channel uses their real name)
- Date: Include year, month, and day of upload
- Title: Italicize the video title. Use sentence case only
- Medium: Add [Video] in square brackets right after the title — not italicized
- Source: Write "YouTube." followed by the full URL
- No period after the URL
When the channel name and person's name differ
If the channel uses the person's full real name (e.g., 'Mark Rober'), list it reversed: Rober, M. (Year, Month Day). Title [Video]. YouTube. URL
If the channel is a brand or organization name (e.g., 'Vox', 'TED', 'Kurzgesagt'), use the channel name as-is without reversing it.
In-text citation format
Parenthetical: (Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell, 2024)
Narrative: Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell (2024) argues that...
For a specific timestamp: (Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell, 2024, 4:32)
Frequently Asked Questions
What if the YouTube video has no upload date?
Use (n.d.) in place of the date: Channel Name. (n.d.). Title [Video]. YouTube. URL
Do I include a timestamp for a specific moment?
Yes, in the in-text citation: (Channel Name, Year, 4:32). The timestamp is not included in the reference list entry itself.
How do I cite a YouTube playlist in APA?
There's no official APA format for playlists. Cite individual videos from the playlist, or treat it as a web document: Author. (Year). Title of playlist [Video playlist]. YouTube. URL
Is the YouTube citation format the same in APA 6th edition?
APA 6th used 'Retrieved from' before the URL, which 7th dropped. APA 7th also added [Video] in brackets. Use APA 7th for all new work.