Cite a ChatGPT conversation in MLA 9
ChatGPT and other AI conversation citations are new enough that MLA 9 (2021) is still settling on a format. The current consensus is to treat the AI as the author, the version (e.g., GPT-4) as the year, and the prompt as the title, with a stable share URL if one exists.
MLA 9 rules for a ChatGPT conversation
- Treat the AI as the author: OpenAI for ChatGPT, Anthropic for Claude, Google for Gemini.
- Use the model version (e.g., GPT-4, Claude 3.5 Sonnet) as part of the title.
- The prompt you used appears in the title or in square brackets as a description.
- Use the date of the conversation, not the model's release date.
- Include a share URL if one is available; otherwise note that the output is unreproducible.
- Cite the prompt as the title and 'ChatGPT' as the container.
Worked example
MLA 9 · ChatGPT conversationA real ChatGPT conversation formatted using the MLA 9 rules above.
OpenAI "Explain the difference between APA 7 and MLA 9 [Large language model]." *ChatGPT (GPT-4)*, 2 Nov. 2024, chat.openai.com/share/example-share-id. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.
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MLA 9 ChatGPT conversation citation guide
The MLA template for an AI tool
MLA 9 adapted quickly to generative AI and published clear guidance that fits the nine-element model rather than inventing a new one. The recommended pattern puts your prompt, not a generic title, in the title-of-source slot, in quotation marks, followed by the tool as the container. A full entry reads: "Describe the difference between APA and MLA" prompt. ChatGPT, 14 Mar. version, OpenAI, 2 Nov. 2024, chat.openai.com. The prompt becomes the title because, in MLA's model, the prompt is what identifies your specific use of the tool.
MLA's most distinctive choice is that it does not name an author for AI content. Because a language model is not a person and its output is not authored in the human sense, the entry simply begins with the prompt as the title of source. This is a deliberate contrast with APA, which makes the company the author. So the same conversation is cited very differently in the two styles, and mixing them up is an easy way to lose marks.
Version, developer, date, and location
After the prompt and the tool name come the descriptive elements MLA uses to pin down the exact system. The version element records the specific model release, such as 14 Mar. version or GPT-4, because model behaviour changes over time. The developer — OpenAI, Anthropic, Google — fills the publisher slot. The date is the day you generated the response, in MLA's day-month-year order. The location is the tool's URL, given without the http protocol in MLA style, for example chat.openai.com.
If a shareable conversation link exists, you can use that specific URL as the location instead of the general tool address, which helps readers see your exact session. MLA stresses that you should keep a copy of the full exchange, because the conversation is not otherwise retrievable. Where the response is long or central to your argument, reproduce the relevant part in your own text or an appendix rather than expecting the citation to carry it.
In-text citation and responsible use
Because the entry begins with the prompt, the in-text citation uses a shortened version of that prompt in quotation marks: ("Describe the difference"). There is no author name and no page number to add. If you quote the model's output directly, present it as a quotation and lead in with a phrase that makes clear it came from the tool, such as When prompted to compare the two styles, ChatGPT responded that...
MLA, like every style body, expects you to verify anything a model tells you, because large language models fabricate facts and even invent fake sources complete with plausible-looking citations. Check your course's policy on AI use before relying on a chatbot at all. Use the generator below to format the entry, then confirm the three MLA-specific points: the prompt sits in the title slot in quotation marks, there is no author, and the date is in day-month-year order.