A Grammarly Authorship report is a record of how a document was written, showing which text was typed, pasted, or generated or edited with AI. Students turn on Authorship tracking while they write in tools like Google Docs or Microsoft Word, and some instructors now ask students to submit the report with their assignments. Grammarly’s own guidance to instructors suggests using Authorship to discuss how students should use AI and cite sources, rather than to penalize them. Grammarly also notes situations in which Authorship may not categorize text accurately.
A note on tools and policies: Grammarly updates Authorship regularly, and its features and categories change. Schools and instructors set their own rules about AI use and Authorship reports. This article describes Authorship as Grammarly has published it. The current documentation and the school’s current policies are the controlling sources.
What Does Grammarly Authorship Track?
Grammarly Authorship tracks the sources of text in a document as it’s written, including typed text, pasted content, AI-generated text, and edits made with Grammarly’s own tools.
According to Grammarly, Authorship works in Google Docs, Microsoft Word, and Grammarly’s own documents, and it’s an opt-in feature that doesn’t track text sources without the user’s consent. The report color-codes the document to show each sentence’s source and includes a replay of the full typing and editing history.
How Do Professors Use Authorship Reports?
Some instructors require students to submit an Authorship report with their assignment, and Grammarly offers integrations with learning platforms such as Canvas and Blackboard.
According to Grammarly and Instructure, instructors can see a class-level view of Authorship reports and open an individual student’s report for more detail. Students choose to share their report, and in some setups they can choose whether to include the writing replay.
What Does Grammarly Say About Using Authorship Against Students?
Grammarly’s guidance for professors states that, instead of using Authorship to penalize students, instructors can use it as an opportunity to discuss how students should use AI and cite sources.
Grammarly also distinguishes Authorship from AI detection: AI detectors estimate whether writing looks AI-generated based on language patterns, while Authorship records where text came from as it was written.
Can a Grammarly Authorship Report Be Wrong?
It can be incomplete. Grammarly’s support documentation describes cases where Authorship may not capture or categorize text accurately.
According to Grammarly, these include keystrokes typed too quickly for Authorship to pick up, text pasted from a desktop source where Authorship doesn’t run, and text pasted from a new AI tool that hasn’t yet been categorized as generative AI. Reports can also show text as coming from an unknown source.
What Happens If a Professor Questions an Authorship Report?
A professor who has concerns about a report may raise them with the student, refer the matter to the school’s academic integrity process, or both.
If a case is opened, the school’s procedures decide the outcome based on all the available information, including the course’s rules on AI use. For more on AI-related cases, see why AI use allegations are increasing and can AI detection tools misidentify your work.
Common Misconceptions About Grammarly Authorship
“An Authorship report is an AI detector.” Grammarly distinguishes Authorship, which records text sources, from AI detection, which estimates based on language patterns.
“Grammarly tracks everything I write automatically.” Grammarly states that Authorship is opt-in and doesn’t track text sources without consent.
“The report is always complete.” Grammarly describes cases where Authorship may not capture or categorize text accurately.
“Grammarly edits count as cheating.” Authorship reports Grammarly’s own edits as their own category; whether any tool use was permitted depends on the course’s rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Grammarly Authorship report?
A record of how a document was written, showing which text was typed, pasted, or generated or edited with AI, along with a replay of the editing history.
Does Grammarly Authorship track me without my permission?
No. Grammarly states that Authorship is opt-in and doesn’t track text sources without the user’s consent.
Can a Grammarly Authorship report miss things?
Yes. Grammarly describes cases such as very fast typing, text pasted from desktop sources where Authorship doesn’t run, and text from AI tools not yet categorized.
Is Grammarly Authorship the same as an AI detector?
No. Grammarly describes AI detectors as estimating based on language patterns, while Authorship records the sources of text as it is written.
Representation for Students Facing AI and Writing-Process Allegations
Every case turns on its specific facts and on the school’s policies as they stand at the time of the case, and both writing tools and school policies change. Attorney Richard Asselta is a student defense attorney who represents students facing AI-related academic misconduct allegations at colleges and universities nationwide. Call 855-338-5299.