Cite a tweet in Chicago (author-date)
Tweets (or X posts) in Chicago (author-date) use the account display name as the author and the full text of the post, up to about 20 words, as the title in quotes. Chicago (author-date) (17th ed.) treats deleted-then-archived posts the same as live ones if you cite an archive URL.
Chicago (author-date) rules for a tweet
- Account display name is the author; include the @handle in square brackets.
- Use the full text of the post, up to about 20 words, as the title in quotes.
- Preserve original spelling, hashtags, and emoji in the title text.
- Add [Tweet] or [Post] in square brackets after the title.
- Include the date and full URL to the individual post, not the profile.
- Tweets typically cited in notes only; reference list entry is optional.
Worked example
Chicago (author-date) · tweetA real tweet formatted using the Chicago (author-date) rules above.
[@neilhimself], Neil Gaiman. 2023. "Just finished the manuscript. Twelve years. Worth every minute. [Tweet]." X. accessed January 15, 2025. https://x.com/neilhimself/status/1709123456789012345.
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