Canvas Originality Report and Similarity Score: What the Colours Mean
In Canvas, the originality report is the Turnitin similarity report attached to your submission. You open it from the coloured icon (often called a flag) next to your assignment. The colour shows your similarity score: blue for 0%, green for 1 to 24%, yellow for 25 to 49%, orange for 50 to 74% and red for 75 to 100%. Grey means the report is still processing.
Canvas similarity score colours
| Icon colour | Similarity score | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | 0% | No matching text |
| Green | 1 to 24% | Low similarity |
| Yellow | 25 to 49% | Moderate similarity |
| Orange | 50 to 74% | High similarity |
| Red | 75 to 100% | Very high similarity |
| Grey | No percentage | Report pending |
This is the scale university Canvas help pages publish for the Turnitin icons in the Canvas gradebook. Some institutions customise it, so always read the percentage beside the icon.
What a blue originality report means on Canvas
A blue icon means Turnitin found no matching text. It is the lowest band and the best possible similarity result. It does not mean your AI score is low; that is a separate report. More: what blue means on Turnitin.
What a green flag means on Canvas
Green means between one matching word and 24% of your paper matches sources. This is the normal result for a referenced paper. More: what green means on Turnitin.
What a yellow flag means on Canvas
Yellow means 25 to 49% matches. Your instructor will probably open the report to see why. Common causes are long quotes, an unfiltered reference list and close paraphrasing. More: what yellow means on Turnitin.
How to open your originality report in Canvas
- Open your course and click Grades.
- Find the assignment. The coloured icon and percentage sit beside it.
- Click the icon. The full report opens in a new tab.
Or open the assignment, click Submission Details and click the icon beside your file. Full steps and fixes: how to see your Turnitin report on Canvas.
Similarity score in Canvas: what is a good one?
Most markers see anything up to about 15 to 20% as normal for referenced work, provided no single source dominates. See what Turnitin percentage is acceptable.
Can you see your AI score in Canvas?
Usually not. The AI writing indicator is normally visible to instructors only, even when you can see your originality report. To see both before you submit, use a pre-check.
What opens when you click the Canvas icon
Both screenshots below come from the same 24-page, 6,364-word paper. The similarity report found 1% overall similarity. The AI writing report flagged 51% of the qualifying text as likely AI-generated. Tap either one to see it full size.
Screenshots shown for illustration. Your own reports arrive as full PDFs in your dashboard.
Frequently asked questions
What does a blue originality report mean on Canvas?
Blue means Turnitin found no matching text: a 0% similarity score.
What does a green flag mean on Canvas?
Green means between one matching word and 24% similarity, the normal result for a referenced paper.
What does a yellow flag mean on Canvas?
Yellow means 25 to 49% of the paper matches sources. Your instructor will probably review the report.
What does a grey icon mean on Canvas?
The originality report is still processing. Refresh after a few minutes.