Upload your text and choose the pages for the plagiarism check
Click individual pages to remove them from the order.
Upload securely, with no account and no detours. Hosting in Germany, encrypted transmission and GDPR-compliant processing. Your upload is deleted automatically and irrevocably after 7 days.
Reading the report
Citation check: what the percentage really means
For academic texts it is worth looking closely at the report. A share of 2.8 per cent matching text is typical for cleanly cited work, while only 0.3 per cent of texts reach a critical level above 90 per cent. What counts is the single case: 100 per cent similarity at one passage often affects only 17 words, just 0.30 per cent of the whole text.
A fuller assessment is in Meaning and limits of the check.
What the check makes visible in your text
The citation check links a passage to the most likely source. So you do not just check a percentage, but every conspicuous passage in context.
Identical or nearly identical wordings are marked. In the report you see which part matches and which source the passage may come from.
Reworded sections can stand out as well. This is especially useful when a paraphrase has stayed too close to the original.
A match is a reason to check. You decide, based on your text, whether a short reference, a footnote or a clearly marked quotation has to be added.
Source links and text comparison help you assess markings one by one. That way you can prioritise your revision instead of going by a quota alone.
The citation check in four steps
- Upload your document. Choose PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT, ODT or RTF and mark the pages to be checked. You can leave out the bibliography, the title page and the lists if they are not relevant for the comparison.
- Compare sources. The system compares wording and text context with freely accessible and academic sources. Technically, the citation check uses the same source comparison as a professional plagiarism check. The name describes the purpose here: finding possible citation problems before you submit.
- Read the report. Do not start with the overall value, but with the single matches. Open the linked source, compare both texts and check whether the idea is recognisable as someone else's work.
- Revise references and wording. Add missing references, mark direct quotations clearly and reformulate paraphrases in your own words. After larger changes, a second run can make sense.
- Marked passages
- Similarity levels
- Links to possible sources
- Direct text comparison
- Overall value for orientation
What a citation check does not decide automatically
A citation check is a source comparison, not a full academic edit. It shows possible matches, but it does not decide on a binding basis whether plagiarism is present. A correctly referenced quotation can be marked as well. Conversely, an idea without any match may still need a reference.
The check also does not reliably verify whether every entry is formatted in APA, Harvard, Chicago or your university's rules. It confirms neither the completeness of the bibliography nor page numbers, years of publication, author names or the academic quality of a source. These points have to be checked separately against your chosen citation style and your examination regulations.
The report is therefore a working basis. The most important question for every marking is: can readers clearly see which idea or wording comes from which source? If the answer is not clear, you should revise the reference and the wording.
Citation check or reference check: both terms mean the same here
Some people search for a citation check, others for a reference check. On this page, both names stand for the same service: an automated source comparison with a report. Technically, it is a plagiarism check geared to citing. The name does not change the method, only the point of view. The focus is not on an accusation of plagiarism, but on concrete preparation for clean source attribution.
For a pure format check of your footnotes or bibliography you also need a guide to the style you want. Our citation generator and the overview of how to cite correctly are helpful here, as are the rules for direct quotations. The citation check complements these aids where conspicuous closeness to a text can only be spotted by comparison with original sources.
- Finds possible source matches
- Does not assess plagiarism in a legally binding way
- Does not fully check a citation style
- Does not guarantee a complete bibliography
- Does not replace academic source criticism
Questions about the citation check
What is a citation check?
A citation check compares your text with possible original sources. The report marks matches and helps you check whether references are missing or wordings sit too close to a source.
Is a citation check the same as a plagiarism check?
Technically, this citation check uses the same source comparison. The name puts the focus on revising quotations and paraphrases, not on an automatic verdict of plagiarism.
Does the citation check test APA or Harvard?
No, the source comparison does not fully check citation styles. Form, punctuation, page numbers and bibliography have to be checked separately against your university's guide.
What does the citation check cost?
The check costs €0.29 per standard page. Before you finish, you see which pages are included and the total price.
How quickly does the report arrive?
The report is delivered by email and is ready after 30 minutes at the latest. Often the evaluation is available after just a few minutes.
Is every marked passage a citation error?
No. Correctly marked quotations, fixed technical terms and the bibliography can also produce matches. Every match therefore has to be judged in context.