How do I cite a social media post in Bluebook?

To cite a social media post in Bluebook (21st edition), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.

What is the Bluebook format for a social media post citation?

The Bluebook format requires specific elements like author, title, date, and source location arranged in a particular order.

How to Cite a Social Media Post in Bluebook (21st edition)

Learn how to cite tweets, Instagram posts, Facebook posts, and TikToks in Bluebook format (21st edition). This guide includes the reference list format, in-text citation examples, and key formatting rules.

Bluebook Bibliography Format

Here is the standard Bluebook format for citing a social media post in your bibliography:

Bluebook Example for a Social Media Post

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

University Library, Our New Open-Access Policy Takes Effect Today, Instagram (2024), https://www.example.org/post/12345.

Step-by-Step Guide

Gather source information: Collect the author name, title, publication date, and URL or DOI for your social media post.
Format the reference: Arrange the elements following the Bluebook (21st 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 Bluebook 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: bluebook.csl

Metadata to collect

account name and handle
post text or description
exact date
platform
permalink

Common metadata traps

Cite the specific post rather than the profile page.
Preserve enough post text to identify content that may later be edited or removed.

Read the detailed source guide →

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite a social media post in Bluebook?: To cite a social media post in Bluebook (21st edition), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.
What is the Bluebook format for a social media post citation?: The Bluebook format requires specific elements like author, title, date, and source location arranged in a particular order.
What does the in-text citation look like for a social media post in Bluebook?: In Bluebook, the in-text citation for the example above is University Library, Our New Open-Access Policy Takes Effect Today, Instagram (2024), https://www.example.org/post/12345.