Learning how to cite a PowerPoint or a lecture is essential when your instructor posts slides on a learning management system (LMS) like Canvas, Blackboard, or Moodle, or when you take notes from a live class. This guide shows you the exact reference and in-text formats for APA 7th edition, MLA 9th edition, and Chicago 17th edition, with clear examples for both online slides and spoken lectures.
What information you need before you start
Whatever style you use, gather the same building blocks first. Having these ready makes every citation faster and more accurate:
- Author or instructor: the person who created the slides or delivered the lecture.
- Date: the year (and full date for lectures or LMS uploads, when available).
- Title: the title of the slide deck or lecture.
- Format description: a label such as PowerPoint slides, Lecture notes, or Class lecture in square brackets (APA) or as a descriptive term (MLA and Chicago).
- Source location: the course name, school, and platform, plus a URL if the file is online.
If you cannot find an element, leave it out and move the next available element into its place. For broader help, see our guide on how to cite sources, or jump straight to the free citation generator to build an entry automatically.
How to cite a PowerPoint in APA (7th edition)
APA treats course slides as a document retrieved from a website or an LMS. The format is: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of presentation [PowerPoint slides]. Publisher or platform. URL
Slides posted on an LMS (Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle)
Because most students reach the slides through a login-only course site, name the LMS or department as the source and give the URL of the course login page.
Smith, J. (2024). Introduction to cell biology [PowerPoint slides]. Canvas@University of Example. https://canvas.example.edu/courses/12345
In-text: (Smith, 2024)
If the slides are openly available on the web (for example, on a public faculty page), keep the same structure but list the website name and the direct URL instead. If your instructor shared the deck as an exported PDF, the same elements apply; see how to cite a PDF for the slight wording differences.
A live lecture in APA
APA does not have a separate template for a live spoken lecture. If your reader cannot retrieve it, treat it as a personal communication and cite it only in the text, not in the reference list.
No reference-list entry. Personal communications are not recoverable, so they appear in-text only.
In-text: (J. Smith, personal communication, March 12, 2025)
If a recording or transcript of the lecture is available online, cite that recoverable version instead and include the URL. For deeper formatting questions, see the APA format guide or build entries automatically with the APA citation generator.
How to cite a PowerPoint in MLA (9th edition)
MLA uses its container system. The core pattern is: Author. “Title of Presentation.” Container (the course or platform), Publication date, Location (a URL or physical place). MLA 9 lets you add an optional descriptive label, such as PowerPoint presentation, to tell the reader the medium.
Online or LMS slides in MLA
Put the slide title in quotation marks and end with a descriptive label so the reader knows the medium. Include the URL when the file lives online.
Smith, Jordan. “Introduction to Cell Biology.” BIO 101, University of Example, 14 Feb. 2024, canvas.example.edu/courses/12345. PowerPoint presentation.
In-text: (Smith)
A live lecture in MLA
For a class you attended in person, name the speaker, the lecture or session title (if any), the course, the institution, the date, and the type of presentation.
Smith, Jordan. “The Cell Cycle.” BIO 101, University of Example, 12 Mar. 2025, Example Hall, Room 204. Class lecture.
In-text: (Smith)
Because MLA in-text citations rely on the author’s name and a page number, and slides or lectures rarely have stable page numbers, the name alone is enough. See the MLA format guide for more, or use the MLA citation generator.
How to cite a PowerPoint in Chicago (17th edition)
Chicago offers two systems. Notes and Bibliography (common in history and the humanities) uses footnotes plus a bibliography entry. Author-Date (common in the sciences) uses parenthetical citations plus a reference list. Use whichever your instructor requires.
Notes and Bibliography: online or LMS slides
Bibliography: Smith, Jordan. “Introduction to Cell Biology.” PowerPoint presentation, BIO 101, University of Example, Spring 2024. https://canvas.example.edu/courses/12345.
Footnote: 1. Jordan Smith, “Introduction to Cell Biology” (PowerPoint presentation, BIO 101, University of Example, Spring 2024), https://canvas.example.edu/courses/12345.
Notes and Bibliography: a live lecture
Bibliography: Smith, Jordan. “The Cell Cycle.” Class lecture, BIO 101, University of Example, March 12, 2025.
Footnote: 2. Jordan Smith, “The Cell Cycle” (class lecture, BIO 101, University of Example, March 12, 2025).
Author-Date version
If your course uses Chicago Author-Date, the reference list and in-text form look like this:
Reference list: Smith, Jordan. 2024. “Introduction to Cell Biology.” PowerPoint presentation, BIO 101, University of Example. https://canvas.example.edu/courses/12345.
In-text: (Smith 2024)
Need a refresher on the system? Read the Chicago style guide or generate entries with the Chicago citation generator.
Classroom slides vs. live lectures: which rule applies
The single most important question is whether your reader can retrieve the source.
- Recoverable (slides on an LMS, a public deck, a recorded or transcribed lecture): include a full reference or bibliography entry in every style.
- Not recoverable (a spoken lecture with no recording): in APA, cite it in-text only as a personal communication. In MLA and Chicago, you may still list it, because both styles allow entries for unpublished talks you attended.
When in doubt, ask whether someone reading your paper could locate the same material. That test decides almost every borderline case. For related formats, see how to cite a YouTube video (useful for recorded lectures) and how to cite an interview (useful for personal communications).
Common mistakes to avoid
- Italicizing the wrong element. In APA the slide title is italicized; in MLA and Chicago the title sits in quotation marks, not italics.
- Forgetting the format label. APA needs [PowerPoint slides] in square brackets; MLA and Chicago need a descriptive phrase such as PowerPoint presentation or class lecture.
- Citing a non-recoverable lecture in the APA reference list. Keep personal communications in the text only.
- Mixing ampersands and “and”. APA uses an ampersand between authors in parentheses; MLA and Chicago spell out “and”. See how to cite multiple authors.
- Skipping in-text citations. Every quoted or paraphrased idea from the slides needs a matching in-text citation.
Frequently asked questions
How do I cite a PowerPoint I found on Canvas or Blackboard?
Treat it as a document on a course site. In APA, list the author, year, italicized title, [PowerPoint slides], the LMS name, and the course URL. In MLA and Chicago, use quotation marks around the title, add a descriptive label such as PowerPoint presentation, and include the course name and URL. Because access usually requires a login, citing the course page URL is acceptable.
How do I cite a lecture I attended but that was not recorded?
In APA, a spoken, non-recoverable lecture is a personal communication, so you cite it only in the text, for example (J. Smith, personal communication, March 12, 2025), with no reference-list entry. In MLA and Chicago, you may include a full entry that names the speaker, the lecture title, the course, the institution, the date, and a label like class lecture.
Should the PowerPoint title be italicized or in quotation marks?
It depends on the style. APA italicizes the title of the slide deck and adds [PowerPoint slides] after it. MLA and Chicago place the slide title in quotation marks and do not italicize it. Getting this detail right is one of the quickest ways to keep your citation accurate.
What if the slides have no author or no date?
If there is no individual author, use the organization or department as the author, or move the title into the author position. If there is no date, use (n.d.) in APA, “n.d.” in Chicago, and simply omit the date in MLA. Always cite the most specific date you can find, such as the LMS upload date.