How to Cite a Reddit Post in APA
How to Cite a Reddit Post in APA
To cite a Reddit post in APA 7, use the poster's username as the author, the exact posting date, the thread title in italics, "[Online forum post]" in brackets, then Reddit and the full URL. Comments follow the same pattern but with the comment text (up to 20 words) as the title and "[Comment on the online forum post Thread Title]" as the descriptor.
The basic APA 7 format for a Reddit post
APA treats Reddit as an online forum, which sits in the same citation family as Facebook posts and tweets. The reference list entry looks like this:
Username. (Year, Month Day). Title of post or first 20 words [Online forum post]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/subreddit/comments/...
The in-text citation uses the username and year: (Username, 2024). If the username starts with "u/", drop the "u/" prefix in the reference. Keep original capitalization.
Worked example
Say you're citing this post from r/AskHistorians titled "Why did the Roman navy use grappling hooks?" posted by u/RomanHistoryFan on March 4, 2024.
Reference list:
RomanHistoryFan. (2024, March 4). Why did the Roman navy use grappling hooks? [Online forum post]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1b7abcd/why_did_the_roman_navy_use_grappling_hooks/
In-text: (RomanHistoryFan, 2024)
Citing a Reddit comment
Comments need extra context so your reader can find them. Use the first 20 words of the comment as the title, italicized. Then note which post it belongs to.
Format:
Username. (Year, Month Day). First 20 words of the comment [Comment on the online forum post Thread title]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/subreddit/comments/.../comment/xyz/
Grab the direct comment URL by clicking "share" on the comment itself, not the parent thread. That permalink is what lets a reader jump straight to the comment.
Handling usernames
Reddit usernames are the "author" in APA's eyes, even when they're clearly not real names. Don't try to guess a real identity. If a poster signs off with their real name inside the post body, you can add it in brackets after the username:
RomanHistoryFan [Marcus Kelly]. (2024, March 4). ...
Only do this if the poster explicitly identifies themselves. Don't dig through post history to unmask anyone.
Deleted posts, deleted comments, and [removed] content
This is where Reddit gets messier than most sources. A post can vanish three ways:
- Deleted by the user. Username shows as "[deleted]" and body says "[deleted]".
- Removed by a moderator. Body shows "[removed]" but the username stays visible.
- Suspended account. Username shows as "[deleted]" but the post body may still be intact.
If you accessed the content before it disappeared, cite it as you originally saw it and add a retrieval note only if the source is likely to change again. APA generally skips retrieval dates for stable sources but recommends them for unstable ones. Reddit qualifies as unstable. Add one like this:
RomanHistoryFan. (2024, March 4). Why did the Roman navy use grappling hooks? [Online forum post]. Reddit. Retrieved July 30, 2026, from https://www.reddit.com/...
If the content is already gone and you only have an archived copy, cite the archive URL (Wayback Machine, archive.today) as the location, and note the original post details as best you can reconstruct them.
Edited posts
Reddit shows an asterisk or "edited" tag when a post has been changed after posting. APA doesn't have a formal field for edit history. Use the original posting date, not the edit date. If the edit substantively changed what you're quoting, mention it in your text: "In an edited version of the post, RomanHistoryFan later clarified that..."
For your own sanity, screenshot or archive anything you plan to cite. Reddit content shifts constantly. A post that supports your argument today can be gone by the time your professor reads your paper.
A few quick rules
- Titles of posts get italicized. Subreddit names don't.
- Don't include "r/" in the reference. The URL already shows the subreddit.
- Use the exact posted date, not the date you accessed it (unless you're adding a retrieval date for unstable content).
- One post, one reference. Don't group multiple posts from the same user into one entry.
- Reddit awards, upvote counts, and flair aren't part of the citation. Skip them.
APA's official guidance treats Reddit posts as forum posts, which is why the "[Online forum post]" bracket descriptor matters. Leaving it off is the single most common mistake students make on these citations.