Turnitin saves a paper only if the assignment or account is set to store submissions in its student paper repository. If it is stored, a later submission of the same document will match it, often at or near 100%. A no-repository check compares your work with the database without saving it, so your final submission is unaffected.

This is the question that matters most when you check your work before submitting, and it is the one most services skip. Here is how Turnitin’s repository works, what happens if your draft is stored, and how to make sure a pre-check is safe.

For the full pre-submission process, see how to check your Turnitin score before submitting.

Does Turnitin store submitted papers?

Often, yes. Many universities set their Turnitin assignments to add submissions to the student paper repository, so future work can be checked against them. Others choose not to store submissions, or store them only within their own institution. The setting belongs to whoever owns the account or assignment.

You usually cannot see this setting as a student. If you are unsure whether your module stores papers, ask your tutor. It affects what happens if you submit more than once.

What is the Turnitin student paper repository?

It is Turnitin’s archive of previously submitted student work. When a paper is stored, Turnitin can match future submissions against it, including submissions from other institutions, depending on settings. It is one of the main reasons Turnitin finds matches that free web checkers miss.

Storage setting (general description)	What happens to your paper	Effect on later submissions
Standard repository	Stored in Turnitin’s shared student paper archive	Later submissions anywhere may match it
Institution repository	Stored only within your institution’s archive	Later submissions at your institution may match it
No repository	Checked but not stored	No future matches to this upload

Exact option names vary by Turnitin product and platform. Check with your university for the precise settings it uses.

What is a no-repository check?

A no-repository check runs your document against Turnitin’s database and produces a full report, but does not add your paper to the student paper archive. Nothing from that check can match your later submission. It is the setting you want for any draft or pre-submission check.

Plag Check runs checks with [no-repository setting] so your paper is not added to the student paper repository. Files are deleted after report generation.

Will a pre-check make your final submission show 100%?

Only if the pre-check stored your paper. If it did, your final submission will match your own earlier upload, and the report may show a very high score from a single ‘student paper’ source. With a no-repository check, this cannot happen.

If it does happen, explain it to your tutor straight away and ask for the matching source to be excluded. Tutors can see the source and its date. Read why your Turnitin score is high for other causes of unexpected matches.

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How can you confirm a service uses no-repository settings?

Ask the service directly and get the answer in writing, by email or on a published page. A trustworthy provider will state its repository setting clearly. Vague answers such as ‘your work is safe with us’ are not enough. Also check how long your file is kept and whether it is ever shared.

• Look for a clear statement on the website or in the FAQs.
• Email support and keep the reply.
• Check the privacy policy for retention and deletion terms.
• Avoid services that refuse to answer or claim to be Turnitin itself.

What about submitting drafts to your own module?

If your module allows multiple submissions before the deadline, Turnitin usually overwrites earlier versions within the same assignment rather than matching them, depending on settings. Submitting the same work to a different assignment, or resubmitting after the deadline, can create a self-match.

Reusing work across different assignments raises separate issues. Read self-plagiarism and Turnitin before reusing any earlier coursework.

Does Turnitin share your paper with other people?

Turnitin does not publish stored papers. When a stored paper matches a later submission elsewhere, the other institution sees that a match exists and may request to view it through Turnitin’s process, subject to your institution’s approval. Your full paper is not openly available.

If privacy is a concern, a no-repository check avoids storage altogether. If you have no access to Turnitin at all, see using Turnitin without a university account.

Why does the repository exist at all?

The repository lets Turnitin catch work that never appeared online, such as essays passed between students, reused assignments and purchased papers. Without it, Turnitin would behave much like a web plagiarism checker. It is also the main reason Turnitin finds matches that free tools cannot.

This is useful for universities and fair for students who do their own work. The downside is that careless pre-checks can store your own drafts, creating matches against yourself. That is why the storage setting matters so much when you check work outside your university.

What should you do if your draft was stored by mistake?

Tell your tutor before or immediately after submitting. Explain that an earlier version was checked and stored, give the approximate date, and ask for that source to be excluded from your report. Tutors can see source dates and exclude individual sources from the score.

1. Keep evidence of when and where you ran the earlier check.
2. Email your tutor with a short, factual explanation.
3. Ask whether the matching student paper source can be excluded.
4. For future checks, use only a confirmed no-repository service.

Handled early and honestly, a stored draft is usually a minor administrative issue rather than an integrity problem.

Are institution-only repositories safer for pre-checks?

Not for pre-checks. An institution repository stores your paper within one institution’s archive. If a pre-check service stores papers in its own institution repository, your final submission elsewhere may not match it, but you are relying on settings you cannot see. A no-repository check removes the risk entirely.

The simplest rule is to ask one question before you upload anywhere: will my paper be stored? If the answer is anything other than a clear no, choose another service. For the full pre-submission process, see how to check your Turnitin score before submitting.

Frequently asked questions

Does Turnitin keep my essay forever?

If your paper is added to the student paper repository, it is generally retained unless your institution requests removal. A no-repository check does not store it at all.

Will my pre-check show up when I submit to my university?

Only if the pre-check stored your paper in the repository. A no-repository check does not affect your final submission.

Can I ask Turnitin to delete my paper?

Removal requests usually go through your institution’s Turnitin administrator. Contact your university if you need a paper removed.

What does a 100% match to a student paper mean?

It usually means the same document was submitted and stored earlier. Explain this to your tutor and ask for the source to be excluded.

Does Plag Check store my document?

Plag Check runs no-repository checks and deletes files after a set period stated in our privacy policy.