How do I cite an email in Turabian?

To cite an email in Turabian (9th edition), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.

What does the in-text citation look like for an email in Turabian?

In Turabian, the in-text citation for the example above is (Sender, email message to author, April 20, 2024)

How to Cite an Email in Turabian (9th edition)

Learn how to cite emails, letters, and personal communications in Turabian format (9th edition). This guide includes the reference list format, in-text citation examples, and key formatting rules.

Turabian Bibliography Format

Here is the standard Turabian format for citing an email in your bibliography:

Cite in a note, not the bibliography: 1. Sender First Name Last Name, email message to author, Month Day, Year.

Turabian Example for an Email

Turabian does not give an email an entry in the bibliography — it is cited in a note only. Here is that note, formatted by the official Turabian CSL style definition:

(Henri Delacroix, “Re: Draft Chapter Feedback”)

Turabian In-Text Citation

Use one of these formats when referencing this source within your paper:

Parenthetical

(Sender, email message to author, April 20, 2024)

Narrative

Sender, in an email to the author, noted...

Key Turabian Formatting Rules

Turabian follows Chicago: cite a personal email in a note, not the bibliography.
Give the sender, “email message to author,” and the date.
Personal communications are normally left out of the bibliography.
Cite only emails your reader cannot retrieve elsewhere.

Step-by-Step Guide

Gather source information: Collect the author name, title, publication date, and URL or DOI for your email.
Format the reference: Arrange the elements following the Turabian (9th edition) template shown above.
Create the in-text citation: Add a parenthetical or narrative citation in your paper where you reference this source.
Add to your bibliography: Include the full formatted citation at the end of your paper.
Double-check formatting: Verify italics, punctuation, capitalization, and hanging indents match Turabian requirements.

Evidence and review notes

Worked examples are generated by citeproc from the published CSL definition, not written by a language model. Editorial guidance and sources in this section were reviewed on 2026-08-14.

CSL style record: turabian.csl

Editorial sources

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite an email in Turabian?: To cite an email in Turabian (9th edition), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.
What is the Turabian format for an email citation?: The Turabian format for an email is: Cite in a note, not the bibliography: 1. Sender First Name Last Name, email message to author, Month Day, Year.
What does the in-text citation look like for an email in Turabian?: In Turabian, the in-text citation for the example above is (Sender, email message to author, April 20, 2024)