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Canva makes it easy to create visuals fast, but citations don’t happen automatically. If your image appears in a school assignment, report, presentation, or publication, you’ll usually need to credit the creator and provide enough information for readers to locate the source.
The right citation format depends on your style guide (APA, MLA, Chicago) and on what you’re actually citing: a single Canva asset (like a stock photo), an element inside a Canva template, or a full design you created in Canva.
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This guide walks you through where to find the needed details in Canva and provides ready-to-use examples for the most common citation styles.
What you need before you cite a Canva image
Before you format anything, confirm three things: the creator/brand of the image, the publication date (or a substitute like n.d.), and a recoverable link or identifier (URL, Canva link, or page record).
- Creator/author: the person or brand credited inside Canva for that image asset.
- Date: the date shown in Canva, or the date you accessed it (some styles allow n.d. or access date).
- Source location: a share link to the Canva image/design or a public URL where the asset can be found.
- Title or description: the asset name, template name, or the text label shown in Canva.
If any of these are missing, you’ll use the best available substitute depending on the citation style (details below).
Find the attribution details in Canva (the parts your citation depends on)
Canva’s interface varies a bit across web vs. mobile, but the workflow is similar. The goal is to capture the asset’s name, the credited author, and a link you can cite.
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- Open Canva and navigate to the design or asset.
- Click the element/image you want to cite.
- In the editor sidebar, look for a panel that shows the credit line, author, or source (often near the asset name).
- Click Share (top-right) for the design and choose Anyone with the link if needed (only to create your citation link; don’t publish if you don’t have permission).
- Copy the share URL from the link dialog.
- If you’re citing a single asset from the Elements library (not a full design), use the asset page’s details view (the asset listing) and copy its URL if it’s accessible publicly.
On iPhone/iPad (Canva app)
- Open the Canva app and open the design.
- Tap the image/element so the editing options appear.
- Check for any visible source/credit info for that element.
- Tap Share to generate a share link, then copy it for your citation.
- Save the asset name exactly as shown, since that often becomes your title/description field.
On macOS/PC browsers
- Use the same “click the asset → view the credit/source panel → copy the share link” approach.
- If the credit/source panel isn’t visible, open the asset’s details view from the library listing rather than the canvas only.
How to cite a Canva image in APA (7th edition)
APA’s goal is an in-text citation plus a complete reference entry. For Canva assets, cite the credited creator (if available), the year, the title/description, and the URL.
APA reference format (general)
Use this pattern when you can identify the creator and the exact asset page or a public share link:
Creator, A. A. / Brand. (Year). Title of image [Format]. Canva. URL
If no year is shown, use (n.d.). If the asset is a design you created in Canva, you may cite yourself as the creator.
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APA example: a Canva asset (single image)
Reference list entry (example format):
Smith, J. (2023). City skyline at sunset [Photograph]. Canva. https://www.canva.com/...
In-text citation: (Smith, 2023)
APA example: no date available
Smith, J. (n.d.). City skyline at sunset [Photograph]. Canva. https://www.canva.com/...
In-text citation: (Smith, n.d.)
APA example: you created the Canva design
If you designed the full graphic in Canva (and you’re citing your own work), cite yourself as the author:
YourLastName, Y. Y. or YourBrand. (2024). Title of your design [Graphic]. Canva. https://www.canva.com/...
In-text citation: (YourLastName, 2024)
How to cite a Canva image in MLA (9th edition)
MLA uses an author-centered Works Cited entry and in-text parenthetical citations (author + page number if available; for web, author is usually enough).
MLA Works Cited format (general)
Author. Title of Image. Canva, Year, URL.
If there’s no author credited, start with the title. If no date is available, use n.d..
MLA example: Canva asset
Smith, John. City Skyline at Sunset. Canva, 2023Smith, John. City Skyline at Sunset. Canva, 2023. https://www.canva.com/...
MLA in-text citation: (Smith)
MLA example: no date available
Smith, John. City Skyline at Sunset. Canva, n.d. https://www.canva.com/...
In-text citation: (Smith)
MLA example: you created the Canva design
YourLastName, YourFirstName (or YourBrand). Title of Your Design. Canva, 2024. https://www.canva.com/...
In-text citation: (YourLastName)
How to cite a Canva image in Chicago (17th edition)
Chicago can be done with either Notes and Bibliography (footnotes/endnotes + a bibliography) or Author-Date. Most students use Notes and Bibliography, so I’ll show both basics—then you can pick what your instructor wants.
Chicago Notes and Bibliography: bibliography entry (general)
Use this when you have a creator/credit line, year (or n.d.), title/description, and URL:
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Creator/Brand. "Title of Image (or Description)." Canva. Year. URL.
Chicago Notes and Bibliography: footnote (general)
Creator/Brand, "Title of Image (or Description)," Canva, Year, URL.
Chicago example: a Canva asset (single image)
Bibliography:
Smith, John. "City Skyline at Sunset." Canva, 2023. https://www.canva.com/...
Footnote (first note):
Smith, "City Skyline at Sunset," Canva, 2023, https://www.canva.com/...
Chicago example: no date available
Smith, John. "City Skyline at Sunset." Canva. n.d. https://www.canva.com/...
Chicago example: you created the Canva design
YourLastName, YourName (or YourBrand). "Title of Your Design." Canva, 2024. https://www.canva.com/...
Chicago Author-Date: reference list + in-text citations (quick note)
Creator/Brand. Year. "Title of Image (or Description)." Canva. URL.
In-text citation typically looks like:
(Creator, Year).When the Canva asset is an element, icon, or photo inside a design
This is the most common scenario: you built a poster, slide deck, infographic, or flyer in Canva, and one part of it came from the Canva Elements library (an icon, pattern, photo, shape, etc.).
What to cite: cite the original asset you used (the icon/photo/element), not just the overall Canva design.
- In your reference list / bibliography: include the element’s creator/brand, title/description, date (or n.d.), and a citeable link.
- In your text: cite the element if your assignment expects citations in the body (common in research papers, less common in purely creative projects).
Practical tip: if your final assignment is mainly visual (like a poster), you can often add a “Credits” or “Image Credits” section listing the Canva elements you used. When in doubt, follow your rubric.
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If you created the design in Canva—meaning you chose the images, arranged the layout, added your own text, and created original work—your layout/design is your work.
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What to cite:
- Cite your Canva design as the source of the whole work (especially if you’re submitting it somewhere or referencing it).
- Still cite any third-party Canva elements used inside it (icons, stock photos, illustrations), depending on how strict your course/rubric is.
In other words: your design can be cited, but it doesn’t automatically “replace” the citations for the assets you didn’t create.
When you downloaded a Canva image and posted it elsewhere
Here you’re treating the downloaded image as a standalone image you’re publishing or sharing (social media, blog post, website, printed handout, etc.).
What to cite: cite the Canva asset you downloaded. Your citation should still point readers back to the credited Canva source, not just to the file on your device.
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Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.- Use the credited creator/brand and the asset title/description you saw in Canva.
- Include a link you can recover (a share URL or asset URL when available).
- If your post includes the image but not the caption/reference list, add a citation in the caption, in a “Credits” line, or as a footnote—whatever fits the platform rules.
Quick reminder: if the image is behind Canva’s license limitations (like a Pro-only asset), make sure you’re allowed to redistribute it before posting publicly.
Common citation mistakes (and how to fix them)
- Mistake: citing only “Canva” without the creator/title of the asset.
Fix: include the credited creator/brand and the asset description so readers can identify the exact image. - Mistake: forgetting the date or leaving it blank.
Fix: use the year shown in Canva; if no year is available, usen.d.(or an access date only if your style/instructor allows it). - Mistake: using the wrong URL (like your account page or a dead link).
Fix: copy a link from the Canva Share dialog that actually takes someone to the asset/design. - Mistake: citing the Canva template instead of the specific asset (icon/photo).
Fix: cite the asset that you actually placed in your design. - Mistake: mixing citation styles (APA in a Chicago paper).
Fix: use one style guide end-to-end and match punctuation/formatting requirements.
Troubleshooting: what to do when you can’t find the author or link
Sometimes Canva doesn’t show everything you want, or the link you copied doesn’t resolve. Here are the best fallbacks.
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- If the author/creator credit isn’t visible: start your citation with the title/description (or the asset name) instead of an author (many MLA/Chicago formats allow this).
- If you can’t find a working share URL: use the most stable URL you can (for example, an asset page URL) or an alternate recoverable identifier your instructor accepts.
- If the date isn’t shown: use
n.d.in the reference entry. - If the content is only accessible inside Canva: you may need to use a share link with the right permissions set to “Anyone with the link.” If you can’t, include what you can and note the access limits as instructed.
Rule of thumb: your citation should be “recoverable.” If a reader can’t locate the same image from your details, your citation needs a better title, creator credit, or link.
Quick reference: citation templates you can copy
Use these as fill-in-the-blank templates. Replace the bracketed parts with the exact information from Canva.
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Creator/Brand. (Year). Title of image [Format]. Canva. URL
If no date: use
(n.d.).MLA 9th (single Canva asset)
Creator. Title of Image. Canva, Year, URL.
If no date: use
n.d..Chicago 17th (Notes & Bibliography)
Creator/Brand. "Title of Image." Canva. Year. URL.
If no date: use
n.d..Bottom Line
Citing a Canva image is mostly about three things: getting the credited creator, the date (or n.d.), and a link or recoverable source. Once you have those details, APA, MLA, and Chicago all become fairly straightforward.
If you’re using an element (icon/photo) inside a Canva design, don’t forget that your citation may need to cover the individual assets you didn’t create—not just the final design file. When in doubt, add a short “Image Credits” list and use the citeable Canva link so readers can verify the source.
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