How to Get a Turnitin Report: How Turnitin Generates a Similarity Report
Turnitin generates a report automatically when a file is submitted to an assignment that has similarity checking switched on. To get a Turnitin report, you either submit through a Turnitin-enabled assignment or use a service that submits for you. Here is exactly what Turnitin needs before it will generate a similarity report.
For Turnitin to generate a similarity report, your file must:
- Be a single file. Only one document per submission.
- Contain at least 20 words of readable text.
- Be under 100 MB and under 800 pages.
- Be in an accepted format: .docx, .doc, .pdf, .txt, .rtf, .odt, .ppt/.pptx, .xls/.xlsx, .ps, .wpd, .hwp or Google Docs.
- Not be password protected, and not be an image-only scan with no selectable text.
Apple Pages, InDesign, Microsoft Works and macro-enabled Word files (.docm) are not accepted. For the AI writing report the bar is higher: at least 300 words of long-form prose, no more than 30,000 words, in .docx, .pdf, .txt or .rtf.
And the assignment must:
- Have Turnitin or "Plagiarism Review" enabled. See what "Turnitin enabled" means.
- Allow you to view the report if you want to see it yourself.
How to get a Turnitin report: three ways
1. Through your course
- Submit to the Turnitin-enabled assignment.
- Wait a few minutes.
- Click the percentage beside your submission. See how to view your Turnitin report.
2. Through your instructor or library
Some libraries and postgraduate offices run checks on theses on request. Ask your supervisor or library.
3. Through a pre-submission service
- Create an account and buy a slot ($3.99 per document).
- Upload your document.
- Download your similarity report and AI writing report, usually within minutes.
The reports you get
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.
Why Turnitin did not generate a report
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Scanned PDF with no text layer | Export from Word as PDF, or run OCR |
| Password-protected file | Remove the password and resubmit |
| Unsupported format (Pages, .docm) | Save as .docx or .pdf |
| Report stuck on pending | See how long reports take |
Frequently asked questions
What does Turnitin need to generate a similarity report?
A single file in an accepted format, at least 20 words, under 100 MB and under 800 pages, submitted to an assignment with similarity checking turned on.
Can I get a Turnitin report without a university account?
Turnitin does not sell individual student licences. Students without access through their course use pre-submission services that return Turnitin-format reports.
Why did Turnitin not generate a report for my file?
Common causes are an image-only PDF, a password-protected file, an unsupported format such as Apple Pages, or fewer than 20 words of text.