How to Cite ChatGPT and Generative AI in APA Style

If you use ChatGPT in an academic paper, APA Style recommends describing how you used the tool and citing the specific AI model. The basic reference identifies the company as the author, the model or tool as the title, its version, and the type of generative AI system.

However, citing ChatGPT does not make its answers reliable evidence. Verify factual claims against original sources and cite those sources directly.

How to Cite ChatGPT in APA: Quick Answer

APA Style’s published example uses this reference:

The corresponding in-text citations are:

• Parenthetical citation: (OpenAI, 2023)

• Narrative citation: OpenAI (2023)

This is APA’s example for the March 14, 2023 version. Do not automatically copy it when citing a different or newer model. Record the model information shown when you use the tool and check the provider’s documentation or release notes for the appropriate version year.

APA Reference Format for ChatGPT

Use the following general structure:

For ChatGPT, the fields work as follows:

APA treats the developer as the author because the AI system itself cannot take responsibility for authorship. When the author and publisher are the same organization, the publisher name is not repeated.

Before submitting your work, use an APA Citation Generator to format the entry consistently, then compare the result with the model information you recorded. Automated citations still require a final accuracy check.

How to Write the In-Text Citation

Cite ChatGPT in the text whenever you quote, paraphrase, or discuss output that contributed to your paper.

Parenthetical citation:

The generated response organized the topic into four categories (OpenAI, 2023).

Narrative citation:

OpenAI’s ChatGPT (2023) organized the topic into four categories.

If you quote AI-generated wording directly, make it clear that the language came from the tool. Because an AI response may not have stable page numbers, help readers locate the quoted text by supplying the prompt and relevant output in an appendix or other accessible supplementary material.

For example:

The quoted wording above is an original illustrative example, not an actual ChatGPT transcript.

Explain How You Used ChatGPT

A reference-list entry alone may not provide enough methodological context. APA’s guidance recommends explaining how the AI tool was used.

Depending on the assignment or study, record:

• The tool and model or version

• The date you used it

• Your prompt or instructions

• Relevant follow-up prompts

• How you evaluated or edited the output

• Whether the output affected your methods, analysis, or final wording

In a research paper, this information may belong in the Method section. In a reflective assignment or essay, a brief disclosure note may be more appropriate.

Example disclosure:

Citation and disclosure serve different purposes. A citation identifies the tool; a disclosure explains what you did with it. Your institution, instructor, publisher, or journal may require both.

Should You Include the ChatGPT Conversation?

APA’s guidance suggests reproducing the prompt and relevant response when readers cannot retrieve the original interaction. For a short exchange, you can include it in the body of the paper. Longer transcripts can go in an appendix or supplementary material.

A useful transcript record includes:

1. The model or version shown in the interface

2. The date of the interaction

3. Each relevant prompt

4. The output discussed in the paper

5. Any follow-up instructions that materially changed the answer

ChatGPT shared links can make a snapshot of a conversation accessible, but they may expose information you entered and can later become unavailable. Review the transcript for private, confidential, copyrighted, or research-participant information before sharing it. A shared link should supplement, not replace, any documentation required by your instructor or publisher.

How to Cite Other Generative AI Tools

The same general approach can be adapted to other generative AI systems:

Use a bracketed description that accurately identifies the system, such as [Large language model] or [Text-to-image model]. Do not guess a release date, model name, or version. Check the provider’s official product documentation.

For AI-generated images, audio, code, or datasets, additional rules may apply depending on how the material appears in your work. Consult your institution’s policy and the APA rules for the type of material being reproduced.

Do Not Cite ChatGPT Instead of the Original Source

ChatGPT can produce incorrect claims, invented references, or inaccurate quotations. If it points you to a study, statistic, law, or theory:

1. Locate the original publication.

2. Confirm that it exists and supports the claim.

3. Read the relevant material yourself.

4. Cite the original source rather than ChatGPT.

Never place an AI-generated reference in your bibliography without verifying its author, title, publication details, DOI, and URL.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Copying APA’s 2023 example when you used another version

• Listing “ChatGPT” as the author instead of OpenAI

• Treating the date of your conversation as the model’s publication year

• Citing ChatGPT as proof of an external fact

• Omitting the prompt when the output is central to the analysis

• Assuming that a citation automatically satisfies an AI-use policy

• Uploading confidential or personally identifiable information to a public AI tool

Sources Consulted

• Official APA guidance: https://apastyle.apa.org/

• Official OpenAI documentation: https://help.openai.com/en/articles/7925741-chatgpt-shared-links-faq

• Academic writing guidance: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/