Q. How do I cite and reference social media in APA Style?

APA Style (7th ed.)

Cite and reference information on social media, such as an Instagram photo, X post (formerly tweet), or Facebook post, as content authored by the user of the social media account on which the post appeared. Include the date of the post, the first 20 words of the post (in the absence of a title), and the name of the social media site followed by the specific URL for the post. Include hashtags, links, and emojis when possible, and insert the description of audiovisual content in square brackets as part of the title or first twenty words of the post. The generic format for social media content is:

Name of Person or Group. [Username]. (Year, Month Day). Content of the post up to the first twenty words in italics and sentence case [Description of audiovisuals]. Site Name. https://xxxx

Please see the examples below for help with formatting the most common forms of social media content.

X post (Tweet)

RRU Library. [@RRULibrary]. (2019, December 10). Please join us in the Library Showcase tomorrow at 1:30 pm to celebrate the Four Feathers Writing Guide. You'll also [Post]. X. https://twitter.com/RRULibrary/status/1204491150763147265 

Facebook post

Department of Justice Canada. (2019, December 9). The Canadian Charter is an essential part of Canada’s democracy and brings us together through the protection of our basic [Image attached]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/JusticeCanadaEn/photos/a.187094078105097/1454351764712649/?type=3&theater

Instagram photo or video 

van der Valk, J. [@jason_vandervalk]. (2019, December 10). Sun sets over the Juan de Fuca Strait as seen from atop Mt. Helmcken. #instadaily #bestoftheday #instafollow #nature #travel #beauty [Photograph]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/B55dRsugYGf/

LinkedIn profile

Trudeau, J. (n.d.). Profile. [LinkedIn profile]. LinkedIn. Retrieved December 10, 2019, from https://ca.linkedin.com/in/justintrudeau

TikTok profile

IndigenousLibrarian. [@indigenouslibrarian]. (n.d.). Lectures from a nêhiyaw-Métis librarian [TikTok profile]. TikTok. Retrieved August 24, 2023, from https://www.tiktok.com/@indigenouslibrarian

TikTok video

IndigenousLibrarian. [@indigenouslibrarian]. (2021, September 26). Lorisia McLeod’s templates for citing Indigenous elders and knowledge keepers (2021) #greenscreensticker [Video]. TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/@indigenouslibrarian/video/7012486813788933382?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7265774825921332742

For more information, please see pages 348 to 350 of the Publication manual of the American Psychological Association as well as the APA Style website's Reference Examples.

Reference

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000