How to Cite an Image
Searchers looking up how to cite an image usually need a workflow, not another list of outbound library links. This guide walks through the evidence you must collect, then shows how the same facts become APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard citations—with a live generator above and below the article.
Image Citation Generator
APA Style
7th Edition (Section 10.14)💡 "Copy Formatted" copies with HTML styling so pasting into Microsoft Word or Google Docs retains italicized titles and indentation automatically.
1. Collect five facts before you format anything
Every usable image citation starts with the same raw materials: creator (photographer, artist, or organization), date of creation or publication, title or a bracketed description, the container (website, museum, book, or software), and a stable URL or DOI.
If Google Images surfaced the file, click through to the hosting page. Search engines are indexes, not publishers, and citing them is the most common reason student bibliographies get marked down.
2. Decide whether you are citing the image or reproducing it
Mentioning an image in passing only needs an in-text citation plus a reference-list entry. Embedding the visual in your paper also requires a numbered figure caption or note that points back to the same source.
Classroom fair use often covers reproduction for an unpublished assignment, but commercial publication still needs permission. Citation and copyright permission are related tasks, not substitutes.
3. Match the style your instructor named
APA wants a format tag such as [Photograph] and sentence-case italics for standalone titles. MLA uses title case and often an Accessed date. Chicago Notes & Bibliography favors museum medium, dimensions, and city. Harvard typically adds Available at: plus an access date for online images.
Do not mix templates. If the syllabus says APA 7th, keep Chicago footnote habits out of the reference list.
4. Handle missing authors and untitled files
When no creator is credited, move the title into the author position rather than inventing “Anonymous.” If the image is also untitled, write a short description in square brackets that a reader could recognize.
Social handles are acceptable only when they are the credited creator identity on the platform you are citing.
5. Special cases: charts, screenshots, and AI images
Charts and graphs should point to the dataset or report that produced them. Screenshots should name the software or site and version when known. AI-generated images should credit the model and include the prompt in the narrative or note as your style guide requires.
Type-specific pages on this site expand each of those cases with a preloaded generator and a worked example you can copy without leaving the page.
Try the generator again
Prefer a type-specific page? Jump to cite an image in APA 7th, cite a painting, or cite a screenshot.
Image Citation Generator
APA Style
7th Edition (Section 10.14)💡 "Copy Formatted" copies with HTML styling so pasting into Microsoft Word or Google Docs retains italicized titles and indentation automatically.
FAQ
How do I cite an image found on a website?
Identify the creator, publication date, image title, website name, and direct URL, then apply your required style formula. Never list Google Images as the source.
How do you cite an image in APA 7th edition?
Use Creator, A. A. (Year). Title of image [Format]. Site Name. URL. In-text citations take the form (Creator, Year).
How do you cite an image in MLA 9th edition?
Use Creator Last Name, First Name. Title of Image. Date. Website Name, URL. Accessed Day Month Year. In-text citations usually use (Creator).
Can I cite a screenshot of an image?
Yes, but cite it as a screenshot of a specific product or page, including software or site name and capture context—not as a generic photograph.