OmniDocHow to Cite AI Tools in APA Style
Learn how to reference generative AI output in APA 7, with the tool as author, the version as the source, and the prompt recorded in your text or appendix.
Many students and researchers now use a generative AI tool to brainstorm, draft, or check their writing. When they do, they need to tell readers where the text came from. The problem is that the usual APA examples cover books, journal articles, and web pages, not chatbot output. Readers searching for "APA citation for AI" often find that the general rules leave them guessing about the author, the title, and what to do with the prompt.
This guide shows you how to reference generative AI output in APA 7. The short version is that the tool's developer becomes the author, the tool name becomes the title, and the prompt is described in your text or an appendix. You will also see how to build the reference list entry, write the in-text citation, and check the result before you submit.
If you draft in a word processor, you can keep the reference list and in-text citations in the same file. The steps below work in any editor that handles Word files, including the UniDoc web editor at app.unidoc.top.
How do you reference AI in APA format? The short answer
Cite the AI tool as the source, using the developer as the author, the tool name as the title, the version and year you used, and a bracketed description of the output. Describe the prompt in your text or an appendix so readers can see what produced the text.
| Your situation | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You quote or paraphrase AI output in your paper | Give an in-text citation with the developer and year, and add the prompt | The reader can see which tool produced the words and what was asked |
| You list the tool in your reference list | Use Developer. (Year). Tool name (Version) [Description]. URL | APA 7 treats the tool as a source with a version, not a website |
| You used AI for brainstorming only | Follow your instructor's or journal's disclosure rule | Some institutions ask for a note in the methods or acknowledgments instead |
| You ran the same prompt many times | Record the date and version for each use, and describe the prompt | Output changes over time, so the date tells readers what they can compare |
| You are unsure whether a citation is required | Ask your instructor or check the journal's author guidelines | Policies on AI use differ across courses and publishers |
Before you start
Gather the details you need before you write the entry, because some of them are easy to lose once the session ends.
- The developer's name. This is the organization or person who built the tool, and it goes in the author position. Find it on the tool's website or in its documentation.
- The tool name and version. APA asks for the version in parentheses, such as a version number or a model date. Record it from the tool's interface or its release notes.
- The date you used it. Use the year of your session in the entry. If you used it across several dates, note each date in your appendix.
- The exact prompt. Save the wording you typed, including any follow-up questions. APA encourages you to describe the prompt, and your readers cannot reproduce your result without it.
- Your instructor's or publisher's AI policy. Some courses ask you to disclose AI use in a separate note, and that rule can override the general APA pattern.
Building the AI reference entry, step by step
Follow these steps to write one reference list entry and its in-text citation. Repeat the process for each tool you used.
- Start with the developer as author. Write the organization or creator's name, followed by a period. APA 7 uses the company as the author, so the reference begins with the developer, not the tool name.
- Add the year in parentheses. Use the year you accessed the tool. Put a period after the closing parenthesis, as in "Developer Name. (2025)."
- Write the tool name as the title. Use the name the tool displays. Follow it with the version in parentheses, such as "(Version 2.0)" or the date label the tool uses for its model.
- Add the description in square brackets. For generative AI, write [Large language model] or a similar label that matches the output type. This tells readers what kind of source they are looking at.
- Include the URL. Add the web address of the tool's homepage, since readers may need to find it. If the tool does not have a stable address, check your style guide for the approved exception.
- Write the in-text citation. For a parenthetical citation, use (Developer Name, 2025). For a narrative citation, write Developer Name (2025) reported or said, and then give your summary or quotation. Use the same author and year that appear in the reference entry.
- Describe the prompt. Explain in your text what you asked the tool, or add the full prompt in an appendix. Readers can then see how the output was produced, and they can judge whether your use was appropriate.
A complete entry for a generative AI tool follows this pattern, with placeholder names you would replace with the real ones:
Developer Name. (2025). Tool Name (Version 2.0) [Large language model]. Tool homepage address
Check the result
Before you submit, review the citation and the surrounding text. A few common problems are easy to catch with a quick check.
| Check | How to see it | If it's wrong |
|---|---|---|
| The developer is the author | Look at the first element of the reference entry | Replace any tool name in the author position with the developer's name |
| The version is in parentheses | Read the title line of the entry | Add the version from the tool's interface, or write the date label the tool uses |
| The bracketed description is present | Check for square brackets after the title | Add a label such as [Large language model] that matches the output |
| The in-text citation matches the entry | Compare the author and year in your text with the reference list | Correct the author name or year so they match exactly |
| The prompt is described | Search your text and appendix for the request you made | Add a short description of the prompt, or put the full wording in an appendix |
| The disclosure follows your course rules | Read your instructor's or journal's AI policy | Add the note or separate disclosure they require |
If you edit the draft in a Word file, you can also check the reference list order and the spacing of the entries. Using the Word-compatible UniDoc web editor is one way to keep the file in a format your instructor or publisher can open.
When you check the content itself, read each sentence that came from AI output. Machine-generated text can contain factual errors, so confirm any claim against a source you can verify before you cite the AI output as support.
❓ FAQ
1. Do I need to include the full prompt in my reference list?
No. APA 7 places the prompt in your text or an appendix, not in the reference entry. The reference list entry identifies the tool, and the prompt description explains how you used it.
2. What if I used AI to edit grammar but not to write content?
Check your instructor's or journal's policy first, because some require disclosure even for light editing. If no rule applies, a short note in your methods or acknowledgments can explain the use.
3. Can I cite a chatbot conversation as a personal communication?
APA 7 gives the tool itself as the author, so the standard approach is the generative AI format described above. Ask your instructor if they expect a different treatment for a specific assignment.
4. Does the in-text citation change if the output is a direct quotation?
The citation pattern stays the same, but you should put the quoted text in quotation marks and include the developer and year. Because AI output has no page numbers, do not invent one.
📝 Summary
To cite AI in APA 7, use the developer as the author, the tool name with its version as the title, and a bracketed output description. Describe the prompt in your text or an appendix, and follow your instructor's or publisher's AI disclosure rule.
