According to section 8.9 of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (the Publication Manual), personal communications include:

• emails
• text messages
• online chats or direct messages
• personal interviews
• telephone conversations
• live speeches
• unrecorded classroom lectures
• memos
• letters
• messages from non-archived discussion groups
• online bulletin boards, and other similar items  

The process for citing personal communication is different from the process for citing other kinds of sources. Because readers can’t retrieve the information in personal communications, personal communications are not included in the reference list; they are cited in the text only. There is no corresponding reference list entry. 

Give the initial(s) and surname of the communicator, and provide as exact a date as possible, using the following formats: 

Parenthetical Citation (8.9)  

Give the first initial and last name of the person with whom you communicated, followed by “personal communication”, and the date, all enclosed in brackets, e.g.: (K. Smith, personal communication, February 24, 2020) 

Narrative Citation (8.9)  

Give the first initial and last name of the person with whom you communicated. Following the name, include “personal communication”, and the date in brackets, e.g.: K. Smith (personal communication, February 24, 2020) 

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Sources

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association: The official guide to APA style. (7th ed.).