If you’ve ever uploaded an essay to Turnitin and later realized you want it deleted, you’re not alone.
Maybe you accidentally submitted the wrong file, or you just want to remove your paper so it doesn’t show up as a match when you resubmit a new version.
Whatever the reason, it’s important to know how Turnitin handles stored papers — and what you can actually do to remove them.
Can you delete your own paper from Turnitin?
Here’s the short answer: no, students can’t delete their own submissions directly from Turnitin.
Once you’ve uploaded an essay, it’s stored in Turnitin’s database so it can be checked for similarity in the future. This helps prevent plagiarism by comparing new submissions to past student papers. However, that also means you can’t simply log in and delete it yourself.
But don’t worry — it’s still possible to have a paper removed. You just need to go through the right process.
Asking your instructor or school for help
The most common way to remove a submission is to ask your instructor or Turnitin administrator at your school to request the deletion for you. Since Turnitin accounts are managed by institutions, only instructors or administrators can contact Turnitin’s support team and authorize a paper’s removal.
When you contact your instructor, explain clearly why you want the paper deleted. For example, maybe you uploaded a draft instead of the final version, or you submitted to the wrong class.
Your instructor can then open a support request with Turnitin, providing your paper ID and class details. Turnitin will review the request and permanently remove your essay from their database once it’s approved.
Contacting Turnitin support directly
If you can’t reach your instructor or your school isn’t responding, you can try contacting Turnitin support yourself through the Help Center at help.turnitin.com.
While Turnitin’s support team won’t delete papers without authorization, they can guide you on the proper steps and tell you who at your institution has the power to make the request.
You’ll usually need to provide details like your name, the email used for your Turnitin account, the title of the paper, and the date it was submitted. The support team will then refer your case to your school’s administrator.
How long it takes
Once your instructor or school submits the request, Turnitin usually takes a few business days to delete the file. When it’s done, your paper will no longer appear in the Turnitin database and won’t be flagged as a match in future similarity reports.
However, it’s important to remember that if your instructor made a copy of the file or used it elsewhere, that version may still exist outside Turnitin’s system.
Conclusion
Deleting an essay from Turnitin isn’t something you can do on your own, but it’s definitely possible through the right channels.
Always talk to your instructor first — they’re the ones who can contact Turnitin on your behalf and have the paper removed properly. Once the request is processed, your essay will be gone from the database and won’t affect any new submissions.
If you’re trying to resubmit a corrected version of your paper, it’s a good idea to let your instructor know in advance. That way, they can either clear your old submission or create a new assignment slot so your new upload doesn’t get flagged as matching your earlier draft.