How to Cite a Social Media Post in MLA 9th Edition

This guide explains how to format a social media post citation in MLA 9th Edition. Follow the format template below, refer to the real example, and use the step-by-step instructions to build your citation correctly.

Format Template

The general pattern for citing a social media post in MLA 9th Edition:

Template

Author. "Content of post up to first sentence or 20 words." Platform, Day Month Year, URL.

In-Text Citation Example

How the citation appears within the body of your paper:

In-text citation

(Biden)

Reference List Entry Example

The full citation as it appears in your Works Cited:

Works Cited entry

Biden, Joe [@POTUS]. "Today we are announcing new investments in clean energy that will create thousands of good-paying jobs." X, 15 Jan. 2024, x.com/POTUS/status/1234567890.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Identify the author
Use the real name of the author. Include the username or handle in square brackets after the name: Biden, Joe [@POTUS]. If only a username is known, use it as the author.
2
Write the post content
Quote the first sentence or first 20 words of the post in quotation marks. If the post is very short, quote it in full.
3
Add the platform and date
Include the name of the platform (X, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) followed by a comma and the date in Day Month Year format.
4
Include the URL
Provide the direct URL to the specific post without the "https://" protocol. End with a period.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Not including the username/handle after the author's real name.
Forgetting to place the post content in quotation marks.
Omitting the platform name.
Using the profile URL instead of the direct link to the specific post.
Including the full protocol (https://) in the URL.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite a tweet (post on X) in MLA?

Use the author's real name with handle in brackets: Lastname, Firstname [@handle]. Quote the first sentence or first 20 words. List X as the platform, the date, and the URL.

What if the post contains only an image or video?

Describe the content briefly in place of the quoted text: Biden, Joe [@POTUS]. Photograph of signing ceremony. X, 15 Jan. 2024, URL.

How do I handle emojis in the post content?

You may include emojis if they are part of the quoted content. If they do not render properly, describe them in brackets: [thumbs up emoji].

Information You Will Need

Before creating your citation, gather the following information from your social media post:

Author/Username
Content/Title
Platform
Date
URL

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Step-by-Step Guide

Identify the author

Use the real name of the author. Include the username or handle in square brackets after the name: Biden, Joe [@POTUS]. If only a username is known, use it as the author.

Write the post content

Quote the first sentence or first 20 words of the post in quotation marks. If the post is very short, quote it in full.

Add the platform and date

Include the name of the platform (X, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) followed by a comma and the date in Day Month Year format.

Include the URL

Provide the direct URL to the specific post without the "https://" protocol. End with a period.