What Does Green Mean on Turnitin? Green Originality Report Explained
Short answer: on the standard Turnitin scale, green means your similarity score is between one matching word and 24%. It is the second-lowest band and the most common result for a properly referenced paper.
The full Turnitin colour scale
| Colour | Similarity score |
|---|---|
| Blue | No matching text |
| Green | One word up to 24% |
| Yellow | 25 to 49% |
| Orange | 50 to 74% |
| Red | 75 to 100% |
Is green good on Turnitin?
Usually yes. Any paper that quotes sources and has a reference list will match something, so a green score is expected. Many instructors treat anything under about 15% as normal for referenced work.
What a green flag means on Canvas
On Canvas, the green icon beside your submission is the originality report flag, and it means 1 to 24% similarity. It is the most common result. Click it to see the sources. Canvas also shows labels such as "Late" or "Missing", which are about deadlines, not Turnitin. Full scale: Canvas originality report colours.
When a green score still needs attention
Green only describes the total. Open the report and check:
- One dominant source. A 20% score where 15% comes from a single website looks like copying, even though the icon is green.
- Matches to student papers. Even small matches to another student's submission get a closer look.
- The "Not Cited or Quoted" group. Uncited matches matter regardless of the total.
- Unfiltered bibliography. If references are not excluded, your real score may be lower than shown.
Is there a green AI score on Turnitin?
No. Turnitin's AI writing indicator does not use the green-to-red scale. It shows a percentage, an asterisk (*%) for 1 to 19%, or a grey state when the file could not be processed. A "green" result on an AI checker comes from a different tool, not from Turnitin.
Green similarity does not mean low AI
The colour describes the similarity report only. Our sample below scored 1% similarity, firmly green or blue, yet 51% on the AI writing report. Original wording can still read as machine-generated.
A low-similarity report next to a high AI score
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.
Other colours: what blue means and what yellow means. Full walkthrough: how to read a Turnitin report.
Frequently asked questions
Is green good on Turnitin?
Green is the second-lowest band, from one matching word up to 24%. For most referenced papers it is a normal result.
Can a green score still be a problem?
Yes. A 20% score where one uncited source makes up most of the match can still be flagged by a marker.
Why is my 0% report green instead of blue?
Turnitin notes that colours vary by integration. Some setups show 0% as green. Trust the percentage over the colour.
What does a green flag mean on Canvas?
It means your Turnitin similarity score is between 1% and 24%, the normal range for a referenced paper.
Does Turnitin show a green AI score?
No. Turnitin's AI indicator shows a percentage, an asterisk for 1 to 19%, or grey. A green AI result comes from a different tool.