How to Check for Plagiarism on Google Docs

Do you know how to check for plagiarism in a Google Doc? If you are an educator, a student, or anyone who works with submitted content, it’s a good idea to learn.

Google Docs is an increasingly popular word processing program. While accurate user statistics aren’t available, by late 2019, Google’s Workplace suite reported over 2 billion active monthly users. Constantly eating into Microsoft’s market share and eclipsing Apple’s Pages, Google Docs has become the go-to software for students, businesses, and anyone who needs a straightforward and user-friendly word processor. It certainly helps that it’s free, as well. 

This isn’t the first time we’ve discussed Google Docs in our blog. Not long ago, we included Google Docs as one of the best software choices for those in copywriting fields.

As we said at the time, “Google Docs provides users with a couple of key benefits. First, it’s free and secure, a serious advantage because many newer, more specialized online tools charge at least a small fee. Second, everyone knows how to use it.”

Since so many students and others are leaning on Google Docs, it’s more important than ever to know how to check a Google Doc for plagiarism.

Should I be checking Google Docs for plagiarism?

Generally speaking, if you are an educator or a leader of those who uses written material for work, you should be concerned about plagiarism.

Simply put, it’s a more significant and pervasive problem than many think. Plagiarism.org reports that nearly 40% of college students admit to plagiarizing internet or print sources without attribution. That number leaps to almost 65% of high school students. 

It may be an even more significant problem in business, where projects aren’t graded and reviewed for plagiarism. SEO company Moz reports that a study they conducted found that 29% of analyzed websites featured duplicate content. Considering that billions of websites are on the internet, that’s a huge amount of plagiarism.

Remember that not all plagiarism is intentional. It is not uncommon for writers to unintentionally borrow language that sticks in their heads or to forget to cite a statistic. But even so, it’s crucial to find and eliminate it when it happens. 

This means that understanding how to check for plagiarized content is extremely important. You don’t want your students turning in someone else’s work, and you don’t want your business submitting other companies’ intellectual property. And because so many writers are using Google Docs, it’s a good idea to know how to detect plagiarism within the system.

Does Google Docs have a plagiarism checker?

Google Docs does not feature a built-in plagiarism checker for most users. Some schools (at all levels) have selected and purchased the Google Classroom suite, which does feature an “originality report” feature for teachers and students. But for most users, Google Docs can’t manage plagiarism checking independently.

How can I check for plagiarism in Google Docs?

If you are not a Google Classrooms user, you will need to utilize several tools to detect plagiarism in a Google Doc. 

The Google Doc Add-On

Google Doc add-ons can be an excellent way to check for plagiarism. Regardless of which you choose, and there are several, they all work in the same general way.

First, you’ll search for and download the add-on from the add-ons menu in the Google suite. Then, you’ll install the plug-in. Once you’ve installed your add-on for Google Docs, you’ll log in. generally, this means creating an account and paying the service fee for the provider. 

Once your account is set up, you can use the plagiarism add-on directly in your Google Doc after activating it in your menu bar. Your provider will scan its available repository and deliver your originality report. Some providers allow you to export your plagiarism detection originality report and easily share it; others make this process more complicated.

The Plagiarism Checker Software

If you are likely to use plagiarism checks in Google Docs for class assignments, It may be in your best interest to utilize an outside plagiarism checker software like Copyleaks. 

Plagiarism checker software is very easy to use. You’ll simply access the online tool, upload a paper, input a URL, and hit “go.” A short time later, you’ll have a full originality report that details points of similarity so you can properly cite them or eliminate them from your work.

Generally more powerful than add-on options, these solutions will give you a wide array of options that will make your life easier. 

Our plagiarism checker, for example, features a state-of-the-art AI tool that helps detect instances of plagiarism that others miss, including paraphrased content.  We can compare your work to the entire internet and our large internal repository to help ensure originality. Plus, our reports are comprehensive, customizable, and easy to share.

Some plagiarism detection software, like ours, can be integrated directly into learning management systems at schools, making it simple for students to submit work and deliver reports to faculty. 

And maybe best of all, where a Google Doc add-on can check for plagiarism in Google Docs, our system can analyze many types of files, including Microsoft Word docs, PDFs, Powerpoints, spreadsheets, and even URLs (like a Google Doc). 

Learn more about using Copyleaks to check your Google Docs for plagiarism by visiting our site and booking a free demo.