To cite Claude, Gemini or Copilot, use the same pattern as citing ChatGPT. In APA, the company is the author and the tool is the title: Anthropic. (Year). Claude (Version) [Large language model]. URL. In MLA, start with a description of your prompt, then give the tool as the container, the version, the company, the date of your conversation and the URL. In Chicago, cite the output in a note rather than the bibliography.
The examples follow the general approach APA, MLA and Chicago have published for generative AI, which we cover in more depth in how to cite ChatGPT. The style guides publish their own examples mainly for ChatGPT; the versions below apply the same rules to other assistants, so check your instructor's requirements before you rely on them.
First, check whether AI use is allowed
A citation records that you used a tool. It doesn't make the use acceptable if your course says not to use AI for that assignment. Before you write the citation:
- Read the AI policy in your syllabus or assignment sheet, and ask if it isn't clear.
- Don't cite an AI assistant as evidence for a fact. Assistants generate text from patterns and can be wrong. Find a reliable published source and cite that.
- Keep a record. Save or screenshot the prompt and response, and note the date and model name. Most conversations can't be retrieved by your reader, so your record is the evidence.
Cite the AI tool when its output is what you're quoting, paraphrasing or analyzing, or when your instructor asks you to document how you used it.
The pattern for any AI assistant
| Element | APA 7 | MLA 9 | Chicago |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starts with | The company (author) | A description of your prompt | (in a note) the tool name, or "Text generated by" + tool |
| Tool name | Title, italic | Container, italic | In the note |
| Version | In parentheses after the title | After the container | Optional |
| Description | [Large language model] | Not used | Not used |
| Company | Author position | Publisher | In the note |
| Date | Year of the version | Date of your conversation | Date of your conversation |
| URL | Yes | Yes, without https:// | If useful |
| In the source list? | Yes | Yes | Usually not |
Which company goes where:
| Assistant | Company to list | URL to use |
|---|---|---|
| Claude | Anthropic | https://claude.ai |
| Gemini | https://gemini.google.com | |
| Microsoft Copilot | Microsoft | https://copilot.microsoft.com |
If you used an assistant built into another product, such as Copilot inside Word or Gemini inside a Google app, there may be no conversation URL. Name the tool and the product it's built into, and describe how you used it.
APA 7th edition
Company. (Year). Name of tool (Version) [Large language model]. URL
Anthropic. (2026). Claude (Model name shown in the app) [Large language model]. https://claude.ai
In-text: (Anthropic, 2026)
Google. (2026). Gemini (Model name shown in the app) [Large language model]. https://gemini.google.com
In-text: (Google, 2026)
Microsoft. (2026). Copilot (Model or version, if shown) [Large language model]. https://copilot.microsoft.com
In-text: (Microsoft, 2026)
Replace the text in parentheses with the actual model name or version you used. APA also expects you to describe your prompt in the text, because the reader can't see your conversation:
When asked to "list common arguments against a four-day school week," Claude produced a list that focused on childcare costs and lost instructional time (Anthropic, 2026).
For long exchanges, put the full prompt and response in an appendix. Quoted AI output follows the usual quotation rules: quotation marks for short passages, a block quote for 40 words or more.
MLA 9th edition
"Description of prompt" prompt. Name of Tool, version, Company, Day Month Year, URL.
"List common arguments against a four-day school week" prompt. Gemini, model name shown in the app, Google, 24 Oct. 2026, gemini.google.com.
In-text: ("List common arguments")
"Explain the difference between weather and climate for a ninth-grade reader" prompt. Claude, model name shown in the app, Anthropic, 24 Oct. 2026, claude.ai.
In-text: ("Explain the difference")
MLA doesn't treat the AI tool as an author, which is why the entry starts with your prompt. The in-text citation is a short form of that description. MLA also asks you to acknowledge functional uses such as editing or translating in a note or in your text, and to verify any sources the tool gives you.
Citation GeneratorAPA, MLA, Chicago and moreChicago style (notes-bibliography)
Chicago's published approach cites AI-generated text in a note or in your sentence, without a bibliography entry, because readers can't retrieve the conversation.
-
Claude, response to "List common arguments against a four-day school week," Anthropic, October 24, 2026.
-
Text generated by Gemini, Google, October 24, 2026, https://gemini.google.com.
Use the first form when you haven't mentioned the prompt in your text, and the shorter second form when you have. If your instructor wants a bibliography entry anyway, follow their instructions and use the same elements.
Coding assistants and AI search tools
GitHub Copilot and other coding assistants. GitHub Copilot is a different product from Microsoft Copilot and is made by GitHub. For code, follow your course's rules on AI-generated code; many computer science courses ask for a comment in the code or a note in the README stating which parts were AI-assisted, rather than a formal citation. If a formal citation is required, use GitHub as the company in the same pattern.
AI search tools that link sources. When an assistant shows links, those are leads, not citations. Open each source, confirm it says what the assistant claimed, and cite the source itself.
Disclose AI help you don't quote
Citation covers quoted or paraphrased output. Many schools also expect you to disclose other help, such as brainstorming, outlining, grammar fixes or translation. A disclosure can be short:
I used Claude (Anthropic) to suggest an outline for this essay and Microsoft Copilot in Word to check grammar in my final draft. The arguments, analysis and sources are my own, and I checked every factual claim against the sources in my references.
For more detail on where and how to disclose, see how to disclose AI use in an assignment and how to use AI without violating academic integrity.
Warning
Key takeaways
- Check your course's AI policy before you cite; a citation doesn't make prohibited use acceptable.
- APA: company as author, tool as title, version, [Large language model], URL; describe the prompt in your text.
- MLA: prompt description first, tool as container, version, company, date, URL.
- Chicago: usually a note only, with the tool, company, date and prompt.
- Record the model name and date when you use the tool, and disclose help you don't quote.
