Citation Guides

General rules:

• As with citing any source, it's best to track down the most original version of a quote, or an image. So, before quoting a social media post, you may need to track it back to the original poster and cite that instead. 

Basic format:

Account name for author [@Handle if needed]. "Text from the post for title". Platform of post for container, Date posted, URL of post.

• Author element: you will usually use the account name (that is, the actual name rather than the "handle" or account ID) of the person or group who posted, as it shows in the social media platform. See "Examples" section below for more details.
• Title of source element: this is usually text from the post. If you use only a portion of the text, end with an ellipsis (...). If no text is in the post, for example the post is an image or video, give a short description of the post and do not enclose in quotation marks. 
• Date element: the date posted is not always available, especially when accessing on an app. In this case, add the "Accessed" date element to the end of the citation.
• Location/URL element: include the URL for the post when possible. In some apps, you may need to click on a "share" or other icon to display or copy the URL. If this isn't possible, use the URL for the main page of the account holder. If neither of these is available, the URL may be omitted, but always include the @Handle name in brackets.

Examples:

Account name is different than handle

• Include the handle in brackets after the account name:

Ng, Celeste [@pronounced_ing]. "So glad to talk to Battle Tips for Your Sexist Workplace about online harassment...". Instagram, 20 Nov 2018, https://www.instagram.com/p/BqafeR-nLrk/. 

Account name is similar to handle

• Handle can be omitted, but only if the URL of the post is also included:

National Park Service. "I'm a rodent, not a meteorologist." Instagram, 2 Feb 2024, https://www.instagram.com/p/C22cFDBORc7/.

More information and examples on MLA Style website

MLA Style: Citing Material Posted on Social Media Platforms