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APA 7th Citation Guide

A guide on APA Style 7th edition, derived from the APA Style Manual

APA on AI

This section will summarize APA Style's current guidance on citing AI in APA format. Note that “AI” in this section almost exclusively refers to “generative AI." Check out these three articles from APA style for more information:

This section relies on APA Style because not much was written about AI in the APA Publication Manual (it was published in 2020). 

How do I cite AI? 

It is recommended that you cite the specific chat used, and not just the AI tool generally, unless there are privacy concerns or other constraints. This usually works by including the unique URL and title for the chat.  

You may also elect to cite the AI tool generally, instead of a specific chat, when you use the tool to: 

  • edit, analyze, organize, or refine your own writing 
  • translate a source, or part of a source, into another language to aid in your own understanding of the work 
  • translate your own writing into another language 
  • create or refine code 
  • create tables, figures, or other visual representations 

When you do not cite a specific chat, be sure to indicate somewhere in your paper how you used the tool. 

Whether you cite a specific chat or the AI tool generally, continue to follow the author-date-title-source format of APA references.  

Can I use AI? 

This question depends heavily on the rules imposed by your instructor, the department, Augusta University, and the University System of Georgia. Consult closely the guidelines released by these folks to determine how you can use AI and note that if these guidelines are conflicting or confusing, following the rules of your instructor is likely most important.  

If you are submitting a work for publication instead of for a class, you will want to check the guidelines of that specific publication. 

If you do move forward with using AI, APA Style reminds us to “carefully review all AI-generated text, verify its accuracy, and take responsibility for it before submitting or publishing it.” You should probably not use AI if you are unwilling to take on this responsibility. 

Why cite AI? 

You need to cite AI so readers can “understand, evaluate, and potentially replicate your work.” This process promotes transparency and trust. 

Although you do not have to cite other online tools, like Microsoft Office and Adobe products, AI is different. It is a newer software, and potential readers are more likely not to be familiar with the AI tool(s) you are using (especially if you are using a tool other than Chat GPT).  

When to to cite AI? 

You should cite AI almost every time you use AI on a work you plan to submit, including: 

  • When you involve AI in the writing process 
  • When AI facilitates a translation of text from one language to another 
  • When you use AI generated images, videos, and other visual elements 

You do not need to cite AI when: 

  • It is being used as a search tool (to replace Google or a database, for example) 
  • It is incorporated into common software (as when using Canva, Grammarly, or Microsoft Word with Copilot)  

 

Again, your instructor may have expectations that differ from the guidelines set forth by APA Style. When in doubt, ask them for guidance. 

Citing a Specific AI Chat

Format

Reference: AI Company Name. (year, month day). Title of chat in italics [Description, such as Generative AI

chat]. Tool Name/Model. URL of the chat 

Parenthetical citation: (AI Company Name, year) 

Narrative citation: AI Company Name (year) 

Example

Perplexity AI. (2025, May 20). High school grammar topics [Generative AI chat]

Perplexity. https://www.perplexity.ai/search/a457cb8c-c663-4c9b-b34e-cb03d8108b35

(Perplexity AI, 2025)

Perplexity AI (2025)

Example from APA Style's article.

Citing a General AI Tool

Format

Reference: AI Company Name. (year). Tool Name/Model in Italics and Title Case [Description; e.g., Large

language model]. URL of the tool

Parenthetical citation: (AI Company Name, year)

Narrative citation: AI Company Name (year)

Example

OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com/

(OpenAI, 2025)

OpenAI (2025)

Example from APA Style's article.

Nuances of Citing AI in APA

  • While APA Style does not advise including AI prompts in references (opting for the title/URL of a chat instead), they do recommend documenting and retaining prompts in personal records. Authors may also elect to discuss prompts in the text or include them in an appendix or as supplemental material.  

  • APA Style now recommends including the model name (if available) instead of the version name of an AI tool. ChatGPT-4-turbo and ChatGPT-5 are two different models of ChatGPT, for example.