How to Cite an Image in APA 7th Edition
APA 7th Edition is the style most U.S. psychology, education, and nursing courses require for image citations. This long-form guide explains the formula, figure notes, and edge cases, then keeps a preloaded APA generator ready so you can produce a finished reference without bouncing to another site.
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.
APA image formula at a glance
Creator, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of work in sentence case [Description of format]. Website or Museum Name. URL
The format tag is mandatory for most student papers: [Photograph], [Painting], [Infographic], [Map], or a similarly precise label. Standalone image titles are italicized in sentence case.
In-text citations and figure notes
Parenthetical citations use (Creator, Year). Narrative citations use Creator (Year). When the image appears as a numbered figure, APA also wants a figure number, italicized title, and a Note that credits the source and copyright status.
If you only discuss the image without reprinting it, the reference-list entry alone is enough—skip the figure note.
Online photographs versus museum artworks
Online photographs emphasize the hosting site and URL. Museum artworks should still name the collection that holds the original even when you viewed a digital surrogate on the museum website.
Do not substitute Wikimedia Commons for the artist and museum when those facts are available on the object page.
Missing authors, undated files, and AI images
No author? Move the title to the author position. No date? Use (n.d.). AI images credit the model provider and describe the prompt in the text or figure note according to current APA guidance.
When in doubt, prefer the more specific format tag and the most stable public URL you can find.
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 you cite an image in APA 7th edition?
Creator, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of image [Format]. Site Name. URL. In-text: (Creator, Year).
How do you cite a painting in APA?
Credit the artist, year, italicized sentence-case title, [Painting] or a more specific medium tag, museum or site name, and URL for digital views.
Do APA image citations need retrieval dates?
Usually no for stable archived images. Add a retrieval date only when the content is designed to change over time.
How do I cite an infographic in APA 7th?
Use [Infographic] as the format tag and cite the organization that published the graphic, plus the page URL.