How to cite a Tweet in APA

To cite a tweet in a reference entry in APA style 6th edition include the following elements:

1. Author of the tweet: Give the last name and initials of the author (e.g. Gates, B.) or if not an individual the full name (e.g. TAMU Writing Center).
2. Twitter screen name: Provide the Twitter screen name in square brackets (e.g. [@BillGates] or ‏[@tamuwc]).
3. Date the tweet was sent: Give the year, month, and day the tweet was sent.
4. Content of the tweet: Do not italicize. If the tweet does not contain words, give a short description in square brackets.
5. URL: Give the full URL that leads directly to the tweet.

Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a tweet in APA style 6th edition:

Author of the tweet. [Twitter screen name] (Date the tweet was sent). Content of the tweet [Tweet]. Retrieved from URL

To cite a tweet in a reference entry in APA style 7th edition include the following elements:

1. Author of the tweet: Give the last name and initials (e. g. Watson, J. D.) of up to 20 authors with the last name preceded by an ampersand (&). For 21 or more authors include the first 19 names followed by an ellipsis (…) and add the last author's name.
2. Twitter screen name: Provide the Instagram screen name in square brackets (e.g. [@ladygaga] or ‏[@webcomic_name]).
3. Date the tweet was sent: Give the year, month, and day the tweet was sent.
4. Content of the tweet: Italicize. If the Caption does not contain words, give a short description in square brackets.
5. URL: Give the full URL of the web page including the protocol (http:// or https://).

Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a tweet in APA style 7th edition:

Author of the tweet. Twitter screen name] (Date the tweet was sent). Content of the tweet [Tweet]. Twitter. URL