The pattern at a glance
- Bibliography (notes-bibliography)Creator. "Title of Video." Video, running time. YouTube, Month Day, Year. URL.
- First footnote1. Creator, "Title of Video," video, running time, YouTube, Month Day, Year, URL.
- Author-date referenceCreator. Year. "Title of Video." Video. YouTube, Month Day. URL.The Chicago quick guide's video example records a running time such as "9 min., 15 sec.".
What Chicago asks for in a video citation
The Chicago Manual of Style quick guide (18th edition) cites an online talk with the speaker, the title in quotation marks, a description of the event, then "Video" with the running time and the URL. For YouTube, the platform and the upload date take the place of the event. Chicago is flexible about descriptions, and the aim is that readers know they are looking at a video and can find it.
The person or group responsible for the content is the author. For organization channels such as NASA, that is the channel name. When a talk is posted by an organization but given by one speaker, you may name the speaker as author and mention the channel in the description; just be consistent between note and bibliography.
Generator output and the running time
The engine follows the official Chicago 18th CSL file. It prints "Video." as the description and the platform as the publisher, but it does not know the running time, which YouTube shows under the player. If your instructor wants it, type it after "Video," in the copied entry, for example "Video, 4 min., 12 sec.".
The quick guide's video example also names the place of a live talk; the CSL format has no slot for it, so add it by hand when you cite a recorded event.
Choosing between notes and author-date for media sources
History, art history and many humanities courses use notes-bibliography, where each video cited gets a footnote at the point of use. This suits papers that discuss a video closely, because the note can carry a timestamp and a comment. Sciences and social sciences that follow Chicago tend to use author-date, where the year sits next to the creator in the text and the reference list carries the details.
Whichever system you use, Chicago expects a bibliography or reference list entry for each video you cite repeatedly. A video mentioned only once in a note can, in notes-bibliography, be left out of the bibliography if your instructor agrees; the full note already identifies it.
For films and TV episodes watched on streaming services, Chicago treats the film as the main work, so the director and the release year matter more than the platform. YouTube citations are different because the channel and the upload date are the only reliable facts.
Field by field: Chicago video entry
How the generator's video fields map to a Chicago citation.
| Field | What to enter | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Author or channel | Creator, inverted in the bibliography for a person. | Channel name under the player. |
| Title | Video title in quotation marks, headline-style capitals. | Above the channel name. |
| Platform | YouTube. | The website. |
| Date | Month Day, Year of upload. | Description box. |
| URL | Watch link without timestamps. | Share button. |
Chicago YouTube citation examples
Two recent videos, formatted by the engine in Chicago 18th notes-bibliography. Each block shows the bibliography entry and the first footnote.
Agency channel (NASA)
Chicago 18th (notes and bibliography): Reference entry
NASA. “NASA Moon Base: Rovers and Lunar Terrain Vehicles (October 2026 Update).” Video. YouTube, October 20, 2026. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zezt6EsG9WE.
First footnote: NASA, “NASA Moon Base: Rovers and Lunar Terrain Vehicles (October 2026 Update),” Video, YouTube, October 20, 2026, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zezt6EsG9WE.
NASA is the creator and the channel, so it leads the entry. The title keeps its own parenthetical "October 2026 Update" in headline-style capitals.
Checked against the page itself (checked on 25 October 2026). Watch page and oEmbed: channel NASA, uploaded 20 October 2026.
Talk posted by an organization (TED)
Chicago 18th (notes and bibliography): Reference entry
TED. “How to Stop Homelessness before It Starts | Jen Loving | TED.” Video. YouTube, October 23, 2026. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTHwSER_l-8.
First footnote: TED, “How to Stop Homelessness before It Starts | Jen Loving | TED,” Video, YouTube, October 23, 2026, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTHwSER_l-8.
The channel is TED and the speaker, Jen Loving, appears only in the title. Chicago allows naming the speaker as author instead; if you do, write Loving, Jen in the author field and keep TED in the title or description.
Checked against the page itself (checked on 25 October 2026). Watch page and oEmbed: channel TED, uploaded 23 October 2026; the speaker is named in the title only.
Formatted by the same citation engine that runs the generator above (citeproc-js with the official CSL style file). Italics follow the style.
Notes and author-date citations
Chicago offers two systems. Choose the one your course uses and stay with it.
- First full footnote: 1. NASA, "NASA Moon Base: Rovers and Lunar Terrain Vehicles (October 2026 Update)," video, YouTube, October 20, 2026, followed by the URL.
- Shortened footnote: 2. NASA, "NASA Moon Base."
- Author-date: (NASA 2026)
- Specific moment: Add the time in the note: 3. NASA, "NASA Moon Base," at 2:40.
Chicago video citation mistakes
- Italicising a YouTube video title. Short online videos take quotation marks; italics are for stand-alone films and series.
- No description. Without "video" readers cannot tell the format from the entry.
- Mixing note and author-date forms. Do not combine footnotes with (NASA 2026) parentheticals in one paper.
- Using the view date as the date. Cite the upload date; add an access date only if your instructor asks.
Chicago YouTube citation FAQ
How do I cite a YouTube video in a Chicago footnote?
Creator, "Title," video, running time, YouTube, Month Day, Year, URL. Later notes shorten to Creator, "Short Title."
Do I need the length of the video?
The Chicago quick guide example gives one, so include it when you can. The generator does not add it automatically.
How is author-date different?
The year follows the creator in the reference list and the text uses (Creator Year).
Which edition does the generator use?
Chicago 18th by default, with the 17th edition still selectable in the style menu.
Style guides used on this page
Rules on this page were checked against these pages on 25 October 2026.