Attribution

A practical attribution guide for meme posts

By Andres Haddad. Updated June 30, 2026. All editorial guides.

Meme culture is built on remixing, but remixing is not the same as pretending sources do not exist. Attribution is the habit of helping readers find where something came from, who made it, or at least where you found it. It will not solve every authorship problem on the internet, but it makes sharing more honest and gives creators a better chance of being recognized.

The simplest rule is this: if you know the source, say it. If you do not know the original creator, say where you found the post instead of inventing certainty. A caption such as "found via 9GAG" is not the same as creator credit, but it is more transparent than presenting a repost as if it were yours. When possible, link the public original rather than uploading a cropped copy.

What counts as useful credit

Useful credit is specific enough for a reader to follow. A creator handle, a direct URL, a publication name, or an archive page is stronger than a vague platform name. If the work is a comic, photo, illustration, video, or original caption, the creator matters. If the meme is a broad template, the source may be less clear, but the post you are sharing still came from somewhere.

Credit should stay attached when content moves. Cropping out a watermark, removing a signature, or reposting a screenshot without a visible source can turn a joke into unattributed labor. It also makes future corrections harder. If the post contains a mistake, a stolen image, or private information, readers have no easy way to check the context.

How to handle reposts

Reposts are not automatically malicious. People save, reshare, translate, and remix jokes because internet humor moves quickly. The problem appears when reposting becomes extraction: the original context disappears, the creator loses recognition, and the audience is led to believe the repost account made the work. A responsible repost should avoid misleading authorship.

If you are sharing a repost because you cannot find the original, use careful language. Say "source unknown" or "seen on" rather than claiming ownership. If someone later identifies the creator, update the credit. That small update signals that accuracy matters more than being first.

When not to share

Attribution does not make every post safe to share. A screenshot can include private names, faces, addresses, school details, workplace context, medical information, or a person who did not consent to becoming entertainment. A joke can also rely on harassment or humiliation rather than commentary. In those cases, the better choice is to avoid sharing or to describe the idea without exposing the person.

The same applies to paid work. Artists, photographers, comic writers, video editors, and template creators may have rights that do not disappear because a post became funny. When in doubt, link, quote minimally, and avoid uploading the full work as if it were public property.

Source notes

Source notes: this article is original editorial guidance based on common content-sharing practices. It is not legal advice and does not reproduce any third-party meme, image, caption, or user comment.