How do I cite an Instagram post in MLA?

To cite an Instagram post in MLA (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 Instagram post in MLA?

In MLA, the in-text citation for the example above is (Chabon)

How to Cite an Instagram Post in MLA (9th edition)

Learn how to cite Instagram posts, reels, and stories in MLA format (9th edition). This guide includes the reference list format, in-text citation examples, and key formatting rules.

MLA Works Cited Format

Here is the standard MLA format for citing an Instagram post in your Works Cited page:

Author Last Name, First Name. “Full caption of the post.” Instagram, Day Month Year, www.instagram.com/p/xxxxx/.

MLA Example for an Instagram Post

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

Chabon, Michael. “#rip Milton Glaser. I grew up in his work. So hard to pick a favorite, maybe this, which also features one of the many awesome typefaces he designed, Baby Teeth. #mahaliajackson #miltonglaser.” Instagram, 28 June 2020, www.instagram.com/p/CB-E9gngVwo/.

Matching in-text citation: (Chabon)

MLA In-Text Citation

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

Parenthetical

(Chabon)

Narrative

Michael Chabon paid tribute to Milton Glaser by posting one of the designer’s iconic images on Instagram.

Key MLA Formatting Rules

Use the whole caption in quotation marks as the title, keeping hashtags; MLA does not cut it to 20 words.
If the caption is unhelpful or absent, describe the post instead, without quotation marks, as in Photo of burned copy of The Hate U Give.
Add the @handle in square brackets only when it does not resemble the account name, as in Hamilton Videos [@hamilton.vods].
Name Instagram in italics as the container, then the date and the URL without https://; an access date is advisable because captions can be edited without notice.
An unsaved Story can still be cited by describing the image or video and giving the date and the story URL; cite a saved Story as the highlight.

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 MLA (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 Works Cited: Include the full formatted citation at the end of your paper.
Double-check formatting: Verify italics, punctuation, capitalization, and hanging indents match MLA 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

MLA Style Center — works cited →

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite an Instagram post in MLA?: To cite an Instagram post in MLA (9th edition), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.
What is the MLA format for an Instagram post citation?: The MLA format for an Instagram post is: Author Last Name, First Name. “Full caption of the post.” Instagram, Day Month Year, www.instagram.com/p/xxxxx/.
What does the in-text citation look like for an Instagram post in MLA?: In MLA, the in-text citation for the example above is (Chabon)