Turnitin Format Issues on Every File: How to Fix Them
In a Reddit post, a student reported that Turnitin gives a format error on every file they upload, even though the files appear fine on their computer.
This situation can feel frustrating because it’s unclear whether the problem is with the file itself or Turnitin’s system.
Understanding what triggers these format errors can help you troubleshoot effectively and reduce stress.
We’ll first provide a quick answer to why this happens, so you know what to check before taking further steps.
Quick Answer to Turnitin Format Error
Why Turnitin Shows a “Formatting Techniques” Error
If Turnitin shows a message saying “you have used formatting techniques”, it usually means the system cannot properly read the text in your file. Even if the document looks normal when you open it, certain formatting elements may prevent Turnitin from extracting the text needed to generate a Similarity Report.
This issue is often related to how the file was created or formatted, rather than a problem with Turnitin’s detection and submission system.
Common causes include:
Text inside images or scanned PDFs
Unusual fonts, text effects, or complex formatting
Embedded objects or layered text boxes
Files exported incorrectly from other software
When Turnitin cannot extract the text correctly, it may show a formatting error message instead of processing the submission.
This quick answer clarifies that the issue is about file interpretation, which leads naturally to understanding key Turnitin concepts behind these alerts.
Key Turnitin Concepts You Need for This Question
Understanding why Turnitin flags a format error on every file requires some basic knowledge of the platform’s core concepts and settings.
Turnitin has many features, including Turnitin plagiarism detection, AI checker, and similarity checker. It also scans the file’s structure and integrity to ensure it can process the submission correctly.
Format Error: This message appears when Turnitin detects formatting the system cannot interpret.
It might involve unusual fonts, hidden characters, or embedded objects like tables, charts, or non-standard symbols. Even if your document looks fine, Turnitin may flag these hidden elements.
Integrity Check: Turnitin performs an automatic integrity check on all uploaded files.
This process scans for hidden or non-visible content, metadata, and formatting techniques that could interfere with file processing.
A repeated format error often indicates that something consistent in your workflow or document template is triggering this check.
Turnitin File Requirements
To avoid formatting errors, your document should follow Turnitin’s basic file requirements.
Supported File Types
Turnitin generally accepts the following formats:
Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx)
PDF (.pdf) – must contain selectable text
Rich Text Format (.rtf)
Plain Text (.txt)
HTML (.html)
OpenOffice (.odt)
PowerPoint (.pptx, .ppt, .ppsx)
Excel (.xls, .xlsx)
However, the file must contain readable, selectable text. If the document is a scanned image or contains text as images, Turnitin cannot analyze it.
Basic Submission Limits
Turnitin also has several technical limits:
Maximum file size: 100 MB
Maximum length: 800 pages
Minimum text: at least 20 words of readable text
Ensuring your file type matches Turnitin’s expectations is a key troubleshooting step.
System/Platform Influences: Browser, operating system, and Turnitin version can all affect how files are read.
Sometimes, the same file uploads successfully on one browser but triggers a format error on another.
Similarly, temporary server glitches can cause errors that aren’t related to your file at all.
Hidden Characters or Symbols: Copying and pasting text from web pages, PDFs, or other documents can introduce invisible characters.
Turnitin treats these as potential formatting issues, which may explain why errors appear on every file.
Recognizing these concepts helps you identify likely causes of repeated format errors and guides practical steps, like standardizing file types, removing hidden symbols, or trying a different browser, before submitting your document.
How to Fix the Formatting Error
If you encounter this issue, try these quick fixes:
Save the File as a Word Document
Open your file and save it again as .docx, which is the most reliable format for Turnitin.
Remove Complex Formatting
Avoid:
text boxes
unusual fonts
heavy visual effects
embedded objects
Use simple paragraph formatting instead.
Convert the File Again
If the file was created using Google Docs, Pages, or another editor, download it again as a Word file or PDF with selectable text.
Check for Scanned Text
If your document contains scanned pages, run OCR (text recognition) or recreate the text so it can be selected.
Why Your Turnitin Upload Shows a Format Error
Even if your files appear fine on your computer, Turnitin can still flag them with a format error for several reasons.
Often, the issue isn’t the content itself but how the file is structured or interpreted by Turnitin.
Hidden formatting or metadata: Documents copied from other sources, templates, or PDFs may contain invisible characters, unusual spacing, or hidden styles that Turnitin flags.
Special symbols or objects: Embedded charts, tables, or non-standard fonts can trigger the format error, even if they display normally in Word or PDF readers.
File type or corruption: Submitting unsupported or slightly corrupted DOCX, PDF, or RTF files can cause the system to reject them.
Browser or system quirks: Different browsers, operating systems, or temporary Turnitin server glitches can affect file processing, causing the error to appear consistently across uploads.
Understanding these likely causes helps you see why the error keeps appearing, even on multiple files.
It also points toward practical ways to resolve the issue, like simplifying the document, standardizing the file type, or checking for hidden characters.
These steps make the upload process smoother and reduce the stress of repeated error messages.
Using a Reliable Turnitin Detector
After learning how to fix common formatting issues, you might wonder if there’s a way to check your files before submitting them to Turnitin. A reliable Turnitin detector like Turnitindetector can help you get a clear idea of how your work will be assessed.
Key Benefits:
Preliminary Similarity Check – Get an early look at your paper’s similarity score, allowing you to address any sections that may appear too similar to other sources before submitting it to Turnitin.
Turnitin AI Detection – Identify AI or AI-generated content with a detailed AI report, showing exactly the report that your professor will see.
No Database Submission – Your paper is never stored or uploaded to any repository, so you don’t need to worry about it affecting your final similarity score when you make the official submission.
With a reliable detector like Turnitindetector, you can submit your work confidently, knowing you've taken the necessary steps to ensure it’s properly checked.
Conclusion
If Turnitin flags every file with a format error, it usually reflects hidden formatting or system quirks rather than a problem with your content.
The simplest next step is to save your document as a standard DOCX or PDF, remove any unusual symbols or tracked changes, and try uploading again.
If the error persists, consider running a third-party detector to catch hidden issues or reach out to Turnitin support. You can resolve this without worry—it doesn’t mean your work is wrong.