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Cite a TikTok video in MLA 9

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Citation fields

Citing TikToks in MLA 9 trips students up because the official handbook predates short-form video by years. The current guidance is to treat the post like any other social media entry: the account handle is the author, the first 20 words of the caption are the title, and the upload date is the year.

MLA 9 rules for a TikTok video

  • Use the account display name followed by the handle (@username) in square brackets.
  • The first 20 words of the caption serve as the title, in quotes.
  • Append [Video] in square brackets to indicate the medium.
  • TikTok is the container; include the full post URL.
  • Upload date is the publication date; archive a copy in case the post is removed.
  • Format the access date as 'Accessed DD Mon. YYYY' at the end.

Worked example

MLA 9 · TikTok video

A real TikTok video formatted using the MLA 9 rules above.

[@thestudentroom], The Student Room "Three things every uni student should know in week one [Video]." *TikTok*, 21 Sep. 2024, www.tiktok.com/@thestudentroom/video/7412345678901234567. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.

Build your own MLA 9 reference

Paste a URL, DOI, or ISBN into the generator at the top of this page. It is already set to MLA 9.

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