Here is how to cite a meme in three steps: treat it like a digital image, record its title or description, the site where you found it, the publication date, and the URL, then format those pieces to match APA, MLA, or Chicago style. This guide walks through all three formats with worked examples, plus the trickiest real-world case: a meme with no known author or original source.
What Information You Need Before You Cite a Meme
Gather these five details before you open your citation generator. Memes rarely come with a byline, so you will not always have every field, and that is normal. They are common enough now that at least one book documents their history, but a citation entry still only needs these five pieces.
- Title or short description of the meme, written yourself if it has no official label
- Name of the website or platform where you found it (Twitter, Reddit, Know Your Meme, Instagram)
- Publisher of the site, if it differs from the site name
- Date the meme was published, if listed
- URL of the exact page or post, and the date you accessed it
If the meme is embedded in an ordinary webpage or personal website rather than a social platform, start with the base template from how to cite a website in an essay, then add the meme’s name in place of the article headline.
Meme pages disappear or get reposted often. Take a screenshot and save the address the moment you decide to cite it. Link rot is one of the most common reasons a meme entry becomes unverifiable later, so check each link again right before you submit your paper.
How to Cite a Meme in MLA Format
MLA 9th edition asks you to cite the specific meme post you consulted, not the meme genre as a whole. Follow the standard MLA template. It has four parts: author, name, container, and publication details, the same pieces you would use for a webpage or a tweet.
The MLA Style Center makes this distinction explicit. Different copies of the same meme are usually posted by different accounts at different times, so citing “the meme” in general is the most common mistake in student papers.
MLA template: Author or Username. “Title of meme.” Site Name, Publisher (if different from site name), Date published, URL.
Diaz, Cristina. “Distracted Boyfriend meme, explained.” Know Your Meme, Literally Media, 3 Aug. 2017, knowyourmeme.com/memes/distracted-boyfriend.
If you found the meme in a tweet or social media post, not a compilation site, make two swaps. Use the poster’s handle instead of the compiler’s name, and use Twitter, Instagram, or Reddit as the container instead of Know Your Meme.
How to Cite a Meme in APA Format
APA 7th edition is the most forgiving format for an anonymous meme. Most viral posts have no formal author, so you lead the entry with the meme’s name instead of a person’s name.
A university library’s APA citation guide for social media content confirms this rule for any post without a named creator.
APA template: Name of meme [Digital image]. (Year published). Site Name. Link
Distracted boyfriend [Digital image]. (2017). Know Your Meme. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/distracted-boyfriend
For the in-text citation, use a shortened name in quotation marks: (“Distracted boyfriend,” 2017). This is the same logic most university guides use for citing a digital image with no listed creator.
How to Cite a Meme in Chicago Format
The notes-and-bibliography system treats a meme as user-generated online content, similar to a blog post or a personal website update. Precise dates matter more here than in the other two styles. Always record the exact day, not just the month and year.
A citation guide for social platforms recommends naming the exact platform in the entry. Write “Twitter” or “Reddit,” not a generic label like “social media post.”
Format: Author or Username, “Title,” Site Name, Month Day, Year, URL.
Know Your Meme, “Distracted Boyfriend,” Know Your Meme, August 3, 2017, https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/distracted-boyfriend.
This system also supports a numbered footnote for the first mention of a meme. Every later mention then gets a shortened note, a format many instructors prefer for essays that reference several examples.
Citing a Meme From Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, or Facebook
These posts rarely stay on one platform for long, and each platform shows different information about the poster. Adjust these details based on where you found the specific copy you are citing, not where the meme first appeared online.
- Instagram: use the account’s display name or handle as the author, and the caption or a short description as the name
- TikTok: cite the creator’s handle and the video’s caption, and note that it is a video rather than a static image if you describe motion or sound
- Reddit: use the subreddit name as the site container (for example, r/memes), and the poster’s username as the author
- Facebook: use the page or group name as the site container, and the post author’s display name as the author
- X (formerly Twitter): use the account’s handle as the author, and the post’s first few words as an informal name if none exists
If the copy you found instead lives on a personal website or independent blog, check the standalone website template above rather than one of these social platform patterns.
Citing a Meme With No Known Author or Original Source
Cite the page where you actually found the meme whenever the creator and original source cannot be verified. Do not guess at where it first appeared. This happens constantly since memes get reposted and stripped of credit within hours of going viral.
- Write your own short, neutral description in place of a name (for example, “cat wearing sunglasses meme”)
- List the site or account where you retrieved it as both the origin and, if needed, the publisher
- Use “n.d.” (no date) in place of a publication date if none is listed anywhere on the page
- Always include your access date when the publication date is unavailable
- Note in your prose, if relevant, that the meme’s original creator is unknown
This mirrors how you would handle citing an anonymous social media post or an uncredited personal website page. Cite what you can verify on the page in front of you. Never invent a name, date, or link to fill a gap.
Can You Just Screenshot a Meme Instead of Citing the Link?
A screenshot alone is never a substitute for a citation, even when you embed the image directly in your paper. Screenshots do help in practice: attach one to your notes or an appendix as a backup record, in case the original page goes offline before your instructor can double-check everything.
Your Works Cited, Reference, or Bibliography entry still needs the real link you originally found, not a description of the screenshot itself. If the page disappears after you have already cited it, most instructors accept a note like “page no longer available, screenshot on file” added to your entry.
Formatting the In-Text Citation for a Meme
Add a short in-text citation every time you describe, quote, or embed a meme in your essay. Other viral examples work the same way, whether it is Distracted Boyfriend, Success Kid, or a meme with no known author. A Works Cited or Reference list entry by itself is not enough, the same rule that applies to citing a video game or any other visual material.
In MLA, use the author’s last name in parentheses, or the first word of the name in quotation marks if there is no author. For example: (Diaz) or (“Distracted Boyfriend”). In APA, use the shortened name and year: (“Distracted boyfriend,” 2017). Chicago’s notes-and-bibliography system uses a numbered footnote for the first mention, then a shortened note for later mentions.
APA vs. MLA vs. Chicago: Meme Citation at a Glance
| Style | Leads with | Format pattern |
|---|---|---|
| MLA | Author or username | Author. “Name.” Site Name, Date, Link. |
| APA | Name (when no author) | Name [Digital image]. (Year). Site Name. Link |
| Chicago | Author or username | Author, “Name,” Site Name, Date, Link. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to cite a meme in an academic essay?
Yes, if you quote, describe, or embed a specific meme as evidence or an example in your essay, it needs a citation, just like any other image or online material you reference directly.
Is a meme cited the same way as a digital image?
Largely, yes. Style guides treat memes as a type of digital image, so the citation logic (name, origin, date, link) is nearly identical, with small formatting differences between APA, MLA, and Chicago.
What if the meme has no name or title at all?
Write a short, neutral description in place of a name, such as “cat wearing sunglasses meme,” and use it consistently in both your in-text citation and your Works Cited or Reference list entry.
Do I need an in-text citation for a meme, not just a Works Cited entry?
Yes. Add a short in-text citation wherever the meme is discussed or shown, using the author or shortened name, matching the same rules you would follow for citing a video or other visual media example.
Is using a meme without citing it considered plagiarism?
Yes, in an academic context. Presenting someone else’s image or joke as part of your own argument without attribution is treated the same as uncited text, even when the meme is anonymous.
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Terry is a Chicago-based writer and editor who creates practical, student-friendly guides on essay writing, research, and citation styles (APA, MLA, and Chicago). He’s spent 15+ years editing educational content and building clear examples that help readers apply rules without guessing. When he’s not revising drafts, he’s usually turning messy notes into clean outlines and hunting down the one detail everyone skips.