How do I create a Works Cited entry for a tweet in MLA?

Format: Author [@handle]. "Tweet text." Platform, Day Month Year, URL. Treat the tweet text as the title of the work, in quotation marks.

Should I include the full URL or just the domain?

MLA 9 prefers the permalink URL. If very long, you may use a shortened version, but the full URL leaves no ambiguity. Always test that the link works.

Template + Example

MLA Tweet / X Post Citation Template

Learn how to cite tweets and X (formerly Twitter) posts in MLA 9th edition format. Includes template, real example, and common mistakes.

Copy-ready template

Author [@handle]. "Tweet text." *X (formerly Twitter)*, Day Month Year, URL.

Filled example

Reference

NASA [@NASA]. "Today marks 25 years since the launch of the first International Space Station module, Zarya." *X (formerly Twitter)*, 15 Nov. 2024, https://x.com/NASA/status/1857344100000000000.

In-text citation

(NASA)

Field mapping

author: NASA [@NASA]
title: Today marks 25 years since the launch of the first International Space Station module, Zarya
site: X (formerly Twitter)
year: 15 Nov. 2024
url: https://x.com/NASA/status/1857344100000000000

Common mistakes

⚠Italicizing the tweet text instead of the platform name.
⚠Using year-only date instead of full day-month-year.
⚠Omitting the handle after the real name.
⚠Including the @ symbol when sorting alphabetically — ignore it.

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Open the complete guide for formatting rules, before/after examples, and detailed FAQ.

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