Cite an Instagram Live Stream in MLA
- Written by Amy McInerney
- Published on 12/16/2025
- Creator name [Account name]: The last name and first name of the creator of the account, followed by the account handle in brackets, this starts with @.
- “Title of Video.”: The title of the livestream video, in quotations, if available. If there is no title, see our tips below.
- Title of Hosting Website: The title of the social media site, in italics. In this specific case, it would be Instagram.
- Date: The date of the livestream, written as day abbreviated month year.
- URL: The URL of the livestream. To find this, copy the link at the top of the browser and add a period at the end of it.
- Event Label: Include Live stream at the end of the citation to clarify to readers.
Example of Basic Citation
Citation for News Channel
| Citation |
Channel 9 News [@Channel_9_News]. “Nor’Easter Update.” Instagram, 3 Dec. 2025, instagram.com/@Channel_9_News/live. Live stream.
|
| Structure |
Creator name [account name]. “Title of Live Stream.” Title of Hosting Website, Day Month Year, URL. Live stream.
|
Citation for Personal Account
| Citation |
Amelia Eisenhart [@amelia_eisenhart]. “To do List for Today.” Instagram, 4 Aug. 2025, instagram.com/@amelia_eisenhart/live. Live stream.
|
| Structure |
Creator name [account name]. “Title of Live Stream.” Title of Hosting Website, Day Month Year, URL. Live stream.
|
Citation without Creator Name
| Citation |
“Weather Updates for December 7.” Instagram, 7 Dec. 2025, instagram.com. Live stream.
|
| Structure |
“Title of Live Stream.” Title of Hosting Website, Day Month Year, URL, Live stream.
|
Using Live Streams as Research
Instagram has become more than just a photo-sharing social media; with stories, direct messages, and live streams, it’s become a key source of news and information for many users. Immediate news updates and live information can be relayed efficiently through live streams, and anyone from a local news reporter to your friend from high school can start a live stream. As with any type of research, it’s important for information gatherers to verify information while doing research. Considering the source of information is key, and digging into the creator of the information is always an important step.
Untitled Live Streams
According to the MLA Handbook, if there is no title, use a description of the live stream instead. Do not put quotes around the description. Your updated citation and structure might look like:
| Citation |
Channel 9 News [@Channel_9_News]. Live Stream Discussion About Nor’ Easter Updates. Instagram, 3 Dec. 2025, instagram.com/@Channel_9_News/live. Live stream.
|
| Structure |
Creator name [account name]. Description of Live Stream. Title of Hosting Website, Day Month Year, URL. Live stream.
|
 |
Be sure to save the link to the live stream as you are watching it. On a mobile device, tap on the “send” button and grab the link. It’s important to gather information correctly during the stream. Live streams will save to the creator’s account if they have enabled the auto-save setting; some creators choose to save their live streams and will post them to their Instagram grid. If not, you may be able to reach out to creators to request the link to the live stream if you need it. Your link might look different if you’re in a web browser. To find that link, go to the creator’s page during the live stream, click on the creator’s profile picture and copy the link from the browser. If you are unable to locate the link to the live stream, or missed the opportunity to get it, simply link to the creator’s profile. While Instagram does provide a blue checkmark to denote verified accounts, this could mean that the creator paid to have their identity verified or the account is notable. The checkmark should not be confused with verifying the quality of information an account is sharing. |
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Amy McInerney
Amy McInerney has been working as a school librarian/technology integrator in K-12 schools for over a decade. She loves finding creative and authentic ways to teach research skills, including creating citations and bibliographies, to her students.