How to Cite a YouTube Video in APA 7th Edition Format

Introduction

Learning how to cite a YouTube video APA 7th Edition is essential for students, researchers, and professionals who reference online video content in papers, reports, or presentations. APA 7th Edition provides a clear structure for citing audiovisual content so readers can locate the source and understand its context.

This guide explains the rules, gives step-by-step examples (including for YouTube), covers in-text citation practice, and highlights common mistakes to avoid. For fast, accurate references, try Rephrasely's free citation generator: https://rephrasely.com/citation.

General Rules

• Author. Use the real name if available, followed by the screen name in brackets: Lastname, F. M. [ScreenName]. If the real name isn’t available, use the screen name alone.
• Date. Use the year, month, and day the video was posted: (2021, July 10).
• Title. Italicize the title of the video and use sentence case. Add the medium in brackets immediately after the title: [Video].
• Source. Include the platform name (e.g., YouTube) and the full URL to the video.
• Punctuation and order. Follow the sequence: Author. (Date). Title [Video]. Site name. URL.
• Timestamps. For direct quotes or specific segments, include a timestamp in the in-text citation (e.g., 2:15).

How to Cite by Source Type

This section shows step-by-step examples for common source types: books, journal articles, websites, and audiovisual content (YouTube video and podcast episode). Use the format most relevant to your source.

Books (APA 7th)

Format: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book (italicized). Publisher.

Smith, J. A. (2019). Research methods in social science. Academic Press.

Journal Articles (APA 7th)

Format for a journal article with DOI: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article. Title of Journal (italicized), volume(issue), pages. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Garcia, L., & Patel, R. (2020). Digital literacy and learning. Journal of Educational Research, 45(2), 123–140. https://doi.org/10.1234/jer.2020.045

Websites (APA 7th)

Format: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Site Name. URL

Centers for Digital Education. (2021, August 5). How schools use edtech responsibly. CDE. https://www.cde.org/responsible-edtech

YouTube Video (APA 7th) — Step-by-step

Use this format when citing a YouTube video:

Author, A. A. [ScreenName]. (Year, Month Day). Title of video [Video]. YouTube. URL

Examples for common cases:

• Author uses real name and screen name:

  Doe, J. [JohnDoeChannel]. (2022, May 18). Climate change: A short explainer [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/xxxxx

• Only screen name available:

  ScienceToday. (2021, October 3). The microplastics problem [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/yyyyy

• Organization as author (channel name is the organization):

  World Health Organization. (2020, March 30). Staying safe during pandemics [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/zzzzz

Podcast Episode (APA 7th)

Format for a podcast episode: Host or Producer, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of episode (No.). In Title of Podcast (Audio podcast episode). Production Company. URL

Rogers, K. (Host). (2020, June 12). Nutrition myths solved (Episode 12). In Healthy Living Podcast. Wellness Media. https://podcasts.apple.com/xxxxx

In-Text Citations

In-text citations in APA have two common forms: parenthetical and narrative. Include author and year for both. When quoting or pointing to a specific moment in audiovisual media, add a timestamp.

Parenthetical citation

Format: (Author, Year)

(Doe, 2022)

Narrative citation

Format: Author (Year) — used when the author’s name is part of the sentence.

Doe (2022) explains how climate feedback loops intensify warming.

Citing a YouTube quote or segment

When quoting a specific part of a video, include the timestamp after the year: (Author, Year, 2:15).

(Doe, 2022, 3:42)

Example: Use a narrative citation for clarity: Doe (2022) states that "the region warmed faster than predicted" (3:42).

Reference List

The reference list should start on a new page, be double-spaced, and use a hanging indent for entries. Order entries alphabetically by the author's last name or by screen name if no real name exists.

Here is a full, formatted example for a YouTube video entry:

Doe, J. [JohnDoeChannel]. (2022, May 18). Climate change: A short explainer [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/xxxxx

Notes:

• If the channel name and the author are identical, use only the author name (no duplicate).
• Do not include retrieval dates for content that is not expected to change over time.
• Italicize the title of the video; the medium [Video] is not italicized.

Common Mistakes

• Incorrect author formatting. Many writers put the channel name where the author should go or repeat the channel and author. Use the real name followed by the screen name in brackets, or the screen name alone if no real name is available.
• Omitting the medium. Forgetting to include [Video] after the title is a common error—this helps readers know the type of source.
• Leaving out the full date. Use the exact year, month, and day of posting when available; don't use only the year if the full date is shown.
• Forgetting timestamps for quotes. When quoting a video, include the timestamp to guide readers to the exact moment you referenced.

Quick Tips and Tools

For accuracy and speed, use Rephrasely's citation generator to create correctly formatted APA 7th citations: Rephrasely Citation Generator.

After creating your citation, check your writing with Rephrasely's other tools: use the plagiarism checker to ensure originality, the AI writer (Composer) to draft or rewrite explanations, and the AI detector if you need to assess AI-written content. Rephrasely also offers a paraphraser and translator to help adapt and localize citations and text.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to include the channel name if the author’s real name is listed?

Yes. If the creator’s real name is listed, include it first and put the channel or screen name in brackets: Lastname, F. M. [ScreenName]. (Year, Month Day). Title [Video]. YouTube. URL.

Should I include a timestamp for a general reference to the video?

No. Timestamps are only necessary when quoting directly or referring to a specific part of the video. For general references, use the standard author-date in-text citation without a timestamp.

What if the video has no date?

If no publication date is provided, use (n.d.) in place of the year, and include the rest of the citation as usual. Example: ChannelName. (n.d.). Title [Video]. YouTube. URL.