Direct answer
When you submit a paper to Turnitin, the platform immediately runs two checks on it: a similarity (plagiarism) check against its databases and an AI writing detection report that estimates how much of the text may have been AI-generated [1]. Both reports land in your instructor's assignment inbox, and the AI writing report flags specific sentences while showing an overall percentage for the submission. Scores below 20% display as an asterisk (*) rather than a specific number, and your instructor decides how to interpret the results within your institution's policy [1]. In short, submission means your draft gets scanned, scored, and stored — and it is your instructor, not you, who sees the outcome.
What Does Turnitin Do With Your Paper After You Submit It?
Once your paper hits the assignment inbox, Turnitin processes it automatically. The AI writing detection report is generated alongside the similarity report, so both are ready in the same submission record [2]. Your instructor opens them from Feedback Studio exactly the way they open a standard similarity check. You do not need to do anything else — the analysis is fully automatic.
The AI writing report shows an overall percentage of the paper that may have been produced by AI tools [2]. It also highlights specific sentences that look AI-generated and breaks the result down by section, so the instructor can see where in your essay the flags concentrate. Turnitin positions this output as an educational starting point rather than a final verdict.
Because the report is instructor-facing, the moment you submit you effectively hand control of the result to your instructor. They decide whether the score prompts a conversation, a revision request, or a referral under your school's academic-integrity rules [2]. What you can see in your own submission view is limited compared with the full record your instructor holds.
Does Turnitin Keep Submitted Papers in Its Database for Future Similarity Checks?
Yes — in most institutional setups, submitted papers are processed and kept so future submissions can be compared against them. This is how Turnitin's similarity check grows: your paper becomes part of the reference pool that later students' drafts are matched against [3]. It is also why a draft you submitted last semester can resurface as a similarity match if you try to reuse it.
However, you typically cannot see what happened to your own submission. Students do not see the AI writing report in their own view, and whether the similarity result is released to you depends on your account type and the assignment settings [3].
Your instructor controls the release options. Reports are not shown to students automatically — the instructor decides if and when you get access [3]. This means the "what happened to my paper" picture you can see for yourself is usually much smaller than the full record your instructor holds.
Can You See Your Turnitin AI and Similarity Score Before Your Instructor Does?
With the official workflow, the honest answer is: not through Turnitin itself. The similarity and AI reports generated on submission are instructor-facing, and Turnitin's own guidance frames the results as material for a discussion between you and your instructor rather than a student-facing dashboard [4].
That is why many students check their drafts with an equivalent preview before submitting. Turnitin explicitly encourages an open, conversation-first approach to AI writing scores, which assumes students know where their draft stands ahead of time [4]. A pre-submission check is the practical way to get that information without waiting for the instructor's interpretation.
If you preview your own draft first, you can decide whether to revise before the official score ever exists [4]. You can then submit with a clear picture of your similarity percentage and AI flag status instead of discovering it secondhand after the fact.
The good news is that you do not have to submit blind. turnitin0 lets you preview exactly what your instructor will see — the same style of Turnitin AI and similarity report — before your paper ever reaches the assignment inbox. Check your draft now, know your standing, and walk into submission with confidence instead of surprises.
※ Turnitin0.com - Actual Turnitin AI Report Cover, Score, Flag And Similarity Summary
FAQ
Can students see their own Turnitin AI writing report?
No. Students do not see the AI writing report in their own submission view; it is generated for the instructor and shown only when the instructor chooses to release it [3].
What does a Turnitin AI score of *% mean?
An asterisk (*) means the AI score is below 20% — Turnitin does not display single-digit percentages like 3% or 12% [1].
Does Turnitin store my paper permanently?
In most institutional setups, submitted papers are processed and retained so future submissions can be checked against them as part of the similarity reference pool [3].
Can my instructor see the AI report right away?
Yes. The AI writing report is generated automatically with the similarity report as soon as you submit, and the instructor opens it from the assignment inbox [2].
Should I talk to my instructor if my draft is flagged?
Yes. Turnitin recommends treating detection results as a conversation starter, so discussing the report openly with your instructor is the intended next step [4].