How to Cite a TED Talk in APA (7th edition)
Learn how to cite TED Talks and recorded conference talks in APA format (7th edition). This guide includes the reference list format, in-text citation examples, and key formatting rules.
APA Reference List Format
Here is the standard APA format for citing a TED Talk in your reference list:
Speaker, A. A. (Year, Month). Title of talk [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/xxxxx
APA Example for a TED Talk
A complete APA reference for a TED Talk, formatted by the official APA CSL style definition — the same engine that powers the generator on this site:
Byrne, A. (2023, April). What citations really tell us. In TED [Conference presentation]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/example
Matching in-text citation: (Byrne, 2023)
APA In-Text Citation
Use one of these formats when referencing this source within your paper:
Parenthetical
(Speaker, 2024)
Narrative
Speaker (2024) argues...
Key APA Formatting Rules
- If you watched the talk on TED.com, use the speaker as the author and list TED Conferences as the publisher.
- If you watched the same talk on YouTube, use the uploading channel (TED) as the author and YouTube as the site.
- Give the title of the talk in sentence case and add the [Video] bracket descriptor.
- Include the date (Year, Month) and end with the direct URL of the talk.
Step-by-Step Guide
- Gather source information: Collect the author name, title, publication date, and URL or DOI for your TED Talk.
- Format the reference: Arrange the elements following the APA (7th 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 reference list: Include the full formatted citation at the end of your paper.
- Double-check formatting: Verify italics, punctuation, capitalization, and hanging indents match APA 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: apa.csl
Editorial sources
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I cite a TED Talk in APA?
- To cite a TED Talk in APA (7th edition), include the author, title, date, and source location. Use our free citation generator for automatic formatting.
- What is the APA format for a TED Talk citation?
- The APA format for a TED Talk is: Speaker, A. A. (Year, Month). Title of talk [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/xxxxx
- What does the in-text citation look like for a TED Talk in APA?
- In APA, the in-text citation for the example above is (Speaker, 2024)
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