Skip to content

How to Cite a Social Media Post in Turabian (9th edition)

Learn how to cite tweets, Instagram posts, Facebook posts, and TikToks 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 a social media post in your bibliography:

Author Last Name, First Name [@Username]. "Content of post." Platform, Month Day, Year. URL.

Turabian Example for a Social Media Post

A complete Turabian reference for a social media post, formatted by the official Turabian CSL style definition — the same engine that powers the generator on this site:

University Library. 2024. “Our new open-access policy takes effect today.” Instagram, October 4. https://www.example.org/post/12345.

Matching in-text citation: (University Library 2024)

Turabian In-Text Citation

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

Parenthetical

(@username 2024)

Narrative

@username (2024) states...

Key Turabian Formatting Rules

  • Put the post content or title in quotation marks.
  • Include the platform name and date.
  • Include the full URL.
  • Follows Chicago Notes-Bibliography format.

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Gather source information: Collect the author name, title, publication date, and URL or DOI for your social media post.
  2. Format the reference: Arrange the elements following the Turabian (9th edition) template shown above.
  3. Create the in-text citation: Add a parenthetical or narrative citation in your paper where you reference this source.
  4. Add to your bibliography: Include the full formatted citation at the end of your paper.
  5. 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

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 Turabian?
To cite a social media post 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 a social media post citation?
The Turabian format for a social media post is: Author Last Name, First Name [@Username]. "Content of post." Platform, Month Day, Year. URL.
What does the in-text citation look like for a social media post in Turabian?
In Turabian, the in-text citation for the example above is (@username 2024)

Generate This Citation Automatically

Skip the manual formatting. Paste a DOI, URL, or ISBN into CitationEasy and get a perfectly formatted Turabian citation in seconds.

Cite in Turabian Now →

Generate this citation

Paste a URL, DOI, ISBN, or the source details and get a finished Turabian citation for a Social Media Post.

Open the Social Media Citation Generator →

Bibliography Studio

Saved citations build a full bibliography in the Studio

Open Bibliography Studio

Cite a Social Media Post in Other Styles

Cite Other Sources in Turabian

More Resources