APA guidance now separates two cases: citing a specific chat when you have a shareable link, and citing the AI tool in general. In both, the company that makes the tool is the author. The formats below come from university library guides that summarize APA's guidance, so check the current APA post before your final draft.
When you have a stable, shareable link to the conversation, Purdue's library guide gives this format, and Duke's guide words it slightly differently:
AI Company. (Year, Month Day). Title of chat [Generative AI chat]. AI Tool/Model. Shareable URL
A hypothetical entry: OpenAI. (2026, October 5). Comparing survey question formats [Generative AI chat]. ChatGPT. [shareable URL]
In the text: (OpenAI, 2026), or as part of the sentence: OpenAI (2026).
If you refer to the tool itself and not to a particular conversation, or if a link to the chat wouldn't help your reader, Purdue's guide gives:
AI Company. (Year). AI Tool [Large language model]. URL
A hypothetical entry: OpenAI. (2026). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com/
Duke's guide suggests choosing based on what serves your reader. You can cite the tool when citing the chat would be unhelpful or inappropriate, or when you only want to mention that the tool exists.
“APA Style updated its guidance for citing generative AI in September 2025.” That is Purdue's summary, and it explains the mix of formats online. Duke notes that in 2023 APA recommended citing only the tool, since chats couldn't be shared. Some guides still show a version date in parentheses, such as a "Mar 14 version," and some describe a chat as a personal communication. If your program's guide still uses an older form, ask your advisor which one to follow, and be consistent.
| Check | Why |
|---|---|
| The author is the company that made the tool | Both guides list the company first |
| The year in the text matches the reference entry | The in-text citation uses the same year |
| The link opens without your login | A chat your committee can't open doesn't let them check it |
| Every reference a chat gave you has been opened | A tool can list sources that don't exist |
| You kept a copy of the chat | Links may stop working if you delete the conversation |
Esmond evaluates every assignment before you submit. It never writes it.
Esmond reads how you use your sources. For the reference format, your style guide and any format review at your school have the final say. Esmond can comment where your draft cites a chat for a central claim and names no published source.
Purdue's guide says to consider an appendix or supplementary material if your prompts and outputs matter for understanding your work. Ask your advisor, and keep a copy either way.
An author has to answer for the work. The University of South Florida, for one, holds the student responsible for any inaccurate information. In an APA reference, the company takes the author position because it made the tool.
For a specific chat, the date of the conversation. For the tool in general, the year. Follow the format your program's guide shows.
Yes. Replace the company, the tool name, and the link. Duke's guide uses the same pattern for other tools.
Read on November 3, 2026.
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