How do I cite an Instagram post in IEEE?

To cite an Instagram post in IEEE (standard), 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 Instagram post in IEEE?

In IEEE, the in-text citation for the example above is [1]

How to Cite an Instagram Post in IEEE (standard)

Learn how to cite Instagram posts, reels, and stories in IEEE format (standard). This guide includes the reference list format, in-text citation examples, and key formatting rules.

IEEE Reference List Format

Here is the standard IEEE format for citing an Instagram post in your reference list:

[1] Author (@username), “Caption or description,” Instagram, Mon. Day, Year. Accessed: Mon. Day, Year. [Online]. Available: URL

IEEE Example for an Instagram Post

A complete IEEE reference for an Instagram post, written by hand and checked against the official IEEE guidance for this source:

[1] P. Souza (@petesouza), “9/11 anniversaries from the past,” Instagram, Sep. 11, 2022. Accessed: Oct. 18, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.instagram.com/p/CiXjR5junw6

Matching in-text citation: [1]

IEEE In-Text Citation

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

Parenthetical

[1]

Narrative

The photographs in [1] show…

Key IEEE Formatting Rules

The IEEE Reference Guide has no Instagram or social media format; writers commonly adapt its website format, as this entry does.
Give the author’s initials and surname with the @username, then the caption in quotation marks, shortened if long.
Name Instagram, give the posting date with an abbreviated month, then Accessed:, [Online] and Available: with the URL.
For a reel, the Online Video format ([Online Video]) is a reasonable alternative; whichever you choose, use it consistently.

Step-by-Step Guide

Gather source information: Collect the author name, title, publication date, and URL or DOI for your Instagram post.
Format the reference: Arrange the elements following the IEEE (standard) 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 reference list: Include the full formatted citation at the end of your paper.
Double-check formatting: Verify italics, punctuation, capitalization, and hanging indents match IEEE requirements.

Evidence and review notes

Worked examples on this page are written by hand from the style's own published guidance and checked against it, because the general CSL styles do not encode this source's rules. Editorial guidance and sources in this section were reviewed on 2026-08-14.

Metadata to collect

account name and @handle
caption text, or a description of the image or video
posting date
type of post (photo, carousel, reel, story or highlight)
post permalink
date you viewed it

Common metadata traps

Stories disappear after 24 hours unless the account saves them as a highlight, so record the date, the story URL and a screenshot the day you see it.
A link copied from the share sheet often carries tracking text such as ?igsh= or ?utm_source=; the permalink is the instagram.com/p/ or /reel/ address.
Citing the account’s profile page when you mean one post sends the reader to a feed that keeps changing.

Editorial sources

IEEE Reference Guide (PDF) →

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite an Instagram post in IEEE?: To cite an Instagram post in IEEE (standard), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.
What is the IEEE format for an Instagram post citation?: The IEEE format for an Instagram post is: [1] Author (@username), “Caption or description,” Instagram, Mon. Day, Year. Accessed: Mon. Day, Year. [Online]. Available: URL
What does the in-text citation look like for an Instagram post in IEEE?: In IEEE, the in-text citation for the example above is [1]