Vertech Editorial
APA, MLA, and Chicago all have official citation formats for AI now. Here is how to cite ChatGPT correctly in each style.
Citing AI is not optional when you have used it. The three major style guides (APA, MLA, and Chicago) have all released official guidance on this. They all agree: if you used it, you cite it. Here is exactly how.
Important note first: get explicit permission from your professor before citing ChatGPT. A citation is not permission to use it. Permission comes first. The citation is documentation.
Get Permission First (Before You Cite Anything)
Warning: A citation tells them you used it but does not make the use permitted
If your professor bans AI use, citing ChatGPT correctly does not protect you from the academic integrity violation. You still used it when it was not allowed.
The Citation Formats: APA, MLA, and Chicago
| Style | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| APA 7 | OpenAI. (Year). ChatGPT (version) [Large language model]. URL | OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com |
| MLA 9 | Your prompt. ChatGPT, version, OpenAI, date, URL. | Explain causes of WWI. ChatGPT, GPT-4, OpenAI, 1 Mar. 2024, chat.openai.com. |
| Chicago | Footnote: ChatGPT, response to your prompt, OpenAI, accessed date, URL. | ChatGPT, response to Summarize the French Revolution, OpenAI, accessed Mar 1, 2024, https://chat.openai.com. |
How to Cite ChatGPT in APA 7
In APA, you treat ChatGPT as a software tool. The author is OpenAI. In your text, cite it as (OpenAI, 2024). In your reference list, include the version you used, the descriptor Large language model in brackets, and the URL.
APA also recommends describing how you used it in your Method section or introduction. Something like: I used ChatGPT (OpenAI, 2024) to generate a preliminary list of topic angles, which were then evaluated and refined independently.
How to Cite in MLA 9
MLA treats the prompt as the title of the source. Put the prompt in quotation marks, followed by ChatGPT, the version, OpenAI, the date, and the URL. In-text, use the first few words of the prompt in quotes as the parenthetical citation.
Then the full entry in your Works Cited list.
Chicago Style
Chicago uses footnotes. At the point where you reference the AI output, add a number and a footnote: ChatGPT, response to your prompt, OpenAI, accessed date, URL.
Check whether your professor wants notes-bibliography or author-date format. Humanities papers typically use notes-bibliography.
What to Say in Your Paper When You Use AI
Always include the prompt you used and the date
AI responses change over time. The same prompt may produce a different answer in a future session. Including the prompt and access date makes your citation reproducible. Both APA and MLA require these details explicitly.
Beyond the formal citation, be transparent in your prose. Briefly note how and why you used AI in the relevant section. That transparency protects you and keeps the work honest.
Remember: AI is not a citable source of facts. A ChatGPT response cannot stand as evidence for a factual claim. Cite AI for what it actually contributed - generating ideas, explaining a concept, drafting a list. Not for establishing truth.
