Direct answer
You check a document for AI-generated text and plagiarism by running two separate reports on the same file: an AI writing report that estimates how much qualifying prose was likely machine-generated, and a similarity report that shows which passages match existing sources. Turnitin produces both from a single submission and displays them side by side in the same feedback view, so the two results describe different things and must be read independently rather than combined into one verdict [1].
How Do You Check a Document for AI-Generated Text and Plagiarism at the Same Time?
The practical answer is that you do not need two tools. A single upload can return both reports because the AI writing indicator and the similarity indicator are generated from the same document and presented together in the feedback panel [2]. What changes between tools is not whether both checks exist, but how much of the underlying report you are allowed to see.
Turnitin's AI writing report highlights the specific segments it flags directly inside the document viewer, so you can read the flagged sentences rather than guessing which paragraph triggered the score [2]. That matters for revision: a flagged transition sentence and a flagged literature review require completely different fixes, and only the segment view tells you which one you are dealing with.
The AI percentage itself is calculated only from qualifying prose, which Turnitin defines as longer-form written passages — short quotations, headings, bullet fragments and reference lists are excluded from the calculation [1][2]. This is why a paper with a heavy reference list can show an AI score that seems disproportionate to its length, and why trimming citations will not lower the score.
Finally, treat the two numbers as separate diagnostics. A document can score 0% AI and 34% similarity, or 61% AI and 2% similarity, and both outcomes are internally consistent [2]. Reading them as one blended "originality score" is the most common misreading of the report.
What Do the AI Score and Similarity Score in a Turnitin Report Actually Mean?
The similarity score is the percentage of a document's text that matches sources in Turnitin's comparison database. It is a measurement of overlap, not a plagiarism verdict [3]. A correctly formatted direct quotation, a standard method description, or a bibliography can all raise the number without any misconduct occurring, which is why institutions read the match list rather than the headline figure.
The AI score is a probability estimate over qualifying prose, and Turnitin deliberately withholds precision at the low end. When its confidence falls below the detection threshold, the report displays an asterisk in place of an exact percentage [3]. An asterisk is therefore a low-confidence signal, not a clean bill of health and not an accusation — it means the evidence was not strong enough to report a figure.
Both metrics are also sensitive to how the text was produced. Text that was drafted by a model and then lightly edited often retains the sentence rhythm and connective phrasing that detectors respond to, even when the vocabulary has been changed [3]. Rewriting a few synonyms in a flagged paragraph rarely moves the score, because the underlying structure is what is being measured.
Can You Check Your Own Draft Before Submitting Without It Counting as a Submission?
Yes — provided the check you use does not add your file to the student paper database. Whether an institutional submission is stored depends on settings your instructor or administrator controls, so the same uploaded file can behave differently across two courses [4]. That is the single most important thing to confirm before you self-check anything.
A non-repository check runs the comparison without adding the document to Turnitin's student paper database and without sharing the report with third-party databases [4]. This is what makes a pre-submission check useful rather than self-defeating: a draft you check and then revise should not become a future match against yourself.
Before using any external checker, confirm your institution's policy on pre-submission checking and on third-party services, and keep the reports you receive for your own records [4]. If your course permits draft review, checking early gives you time to revise flagged passages rather than discovering the problem after the deadline.
Reading the report is the easy part — the harder part is getting a real one on your own draft before the deadline closes. turnitin0 runs both checks on a single upload and returns the same two PDFs your instructor would see, so you can compare the AI indicator and the similarity match list on the exact file you plan to submit.
※ Turnitin0.com - Actual Turnitin AI Report Cover, Score, Flag And Similarity Summary
FAQ
Is checking for AI-generated text the same as checking for plagiarism?
No. Plagiarism checking measures overlap with existing sources, while AI detection estimates whether prose was likely machine-generated [3]. A document can fail one check and pass the other, so both reports are needed.
Why does my AI score show an asterisk instead of a percentage?
Turnitin displays an asterisk when its confidence falls below the detection threshold, meaning the signal was too weak to report a number [1][3]. Treat it as a low-confidence result rather than a confirmed zero.
Can a high similarity score get me penalised if I cited properly?
Similarity counts matched text, including correctly cited quotations and reference lists [3]. Institutions review the match list and context, so citations alone are usually not treated as misconduct.
Does checking my draft add it to the student paper database?
Only if the check is configured to store submissions. Non-repository checks do not add the file to the student paper database [4], but confirm your institution's policy first.
What file types can I check?
turnitin0 accepts.docx,.pdf and.txt files in English, between 300 and 30,000 words and under 20 MB, and returns both the AI detection report and the similarity report in one order.