On this page
Updated . Example details checked against The MLA Style Center, "How do I cite generative AI in MLA style?" (its own example).
The Harvard format
Pattern
Company (Year) AI-generated text by Tool with prompt ‘prompt text’, Day Month. Available at: URL (Accessed: Day Month Year).
- Company as author.
- Prompt in single quotation marks.
- A shared link if you have one; otherwise the tool’s URL.
A real example
Reference list entry
OpenAI (2023) AI-generated text by ChatGPT with prompt ‘Describe the symbolism of the green light in the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald’, 8 March. Available at: https://chat.openai.com/chat (Accessed: 3 November 2026).
In-text citation
(OpenAI, 2023)
When details are missing
- No link: some universities treat unshared output as a personal communication; check your guide.
Common mistakes
- ChatGPT as the author. Cite Them Right names the company.
Or let Format do it.
Choose AI-generated content and fill in your prompt, the tool, its version, the company, the date and the link to the chat if you shared it. Format writes the Reference list entry and the in-text citation in Harvard, exactly as shown above, and builds the Reference list page when you export to Word or PDF. Harvard is part of Pro, $4 a month or $29 a year; MLA and APA are free.
Questions
Do I need the access date?
Yes, for online output.
Is this allowed?
Check your module’s AI policy before using AI text at all.
More citation guides
The same source in other styles
Similar sources in Harvard
Every source kind is on the Harvard page, and every style is on How to cite.