File requirements

To submit successfully, Turnitin requires files to be:

  • less than 100MB;
  • has a minimum of 20 words (unless the assignment settings state otherwise)
  • is less than 800 pages (.xls/.xlsx and .csv files must be less than 450 pages)

If the file only contains text, it must be less than 2MB.

Are you submitting a file that is going to be checked for similarity and/or grading?

If the assignment settings are set to allow only file types that Turnitin can check for similarity, Turnitin will only accept files that can generate Similarity Reports.

This includes:

  • Microsoft Word® (.doc/.docx)

    If you are using an unsupported word processor, you may need to save your plain text file as .txt or .rtf in order to upload to Turnitin.

  • OpenOffice Text (.odt)
  • WordPerfect® (.wpd)
  • PostScript (.ps)
  • HTML
  • Hangul Word Processor (.hwp)
  • Rich text format (.rtf)
  • Plain text (.txt)
  • Google Docs, Google Slides, Google Sheets via Google Drive™

    If submitting with Google Drive™, third party cookies must be allowed in your browser, otherwise, any attempts to sign into Google to upload from Google Drive will fail. Note that Google Drive functionality is not supported with IE8 or below. Do not upload Google Doc (.gdoc) files directly to Turnitin; a .gdoc file does not store the document, but contains a reference to it online, in Google Docs

  • Adobe® PDF (.pdf)

    • Turnitin will not accept PDF image files, forms, or portfolios, files that do not contain highlightable text (e.g. a scanned file - usually an image), documents containing multiple files or files created with software other than Adobe Acrobat®.

  • Microsoft PowerPoint® (.pptx, .ppt, .ppsx, and .pps)

    It is possible to submit PowerPoint® files through Turnitin.com, TurnitinUK.com, Turnitin Basic integrations, newer versions of the Turnitin Direct integrations, and LTI compliant integrations only. Turnitin converts the PowerPoint® slide deck into a static PDF, leaving all text and images in their original format but leaving out features such as presenter notes, embedded video, and animations. Text with visual effects is not supported, and it is recommended that any visual effects such as shadows and 3D be removed prior to submitting to Turnitin.

  • Microsoft Excel® (.xls/.xlsx)

    The version of the file that can be viewed in the Turnitin Viewer will look the same as it would if the Excel file had been saved as a PDF and submitted to Turnitin. We highly recommend that users pay attention to the image preview provided in the single file submission to verify that the file is presented in an acceptable manner. Users can adjust the way the file looks by editing the page setup and print area settings for the file prior to saving it and submitting it to Turnitin.

    If you have a .xls/.xlsx or .csv file that is 450 pages or more, save the file as a PDF for submission to Turnitin.

Speak to your instructor if you are unsure whether the assignment needs to be checked for Similarity or not.

Are you submitting a file that does not need to be checked for similarity but does need to be graded?

If the assignment settings are set to allow any file types, Turnitin will accept all the above file types, as well the following file types:

  • Password protected files
  • Microsoft® Works (.wps) files
  • Microsoft Word 2007 macros-enabled .docm files
  • OpenOffice Text (.odt) files created and downloaded from Google Docs online
  • Document (.doc) files created using OpenOffice, as they are not 100% Microsoft Word equivalent
  • Apple Pages
  • Spreadsheets created outside of Microsoft Excel (i.e. .ods)
  • Text with visual effects

These file types can be graded, but they will not generate a Similarity Report.

Speak to your instructor if you are unsure whether the assignment needs to be checked for Similarity or not.

When converting a file to a new file format, users should rename their file with a name other than that of the original file. This is suggested to prevent permanent loss of the original formatting or image content of a file due to it being overwritten.