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Marking.ai Help Centre

Linking a submission to a student

Every submission in Marking.ai belongs to a student. Sometimes that link is created automatically — sometimes you’ll need to set it yourself. This article explains both.

Automatic linking

When you upload a submission, Marking.ai tries to identify the student by looking at:

  • The filename — if it contains a student name (“Jane Smith Year 9 Biology.pdf”), Marking.ai will match it to an existing student record (or create one if it doesn’t exist).
  • The content — names written on the paper itself, especially on the first page.
  • Combined PDFs — each split is checked for a name during the review step.

If Marking.ai finds a match (or creates a new student), you’ll see the student name next to the submission in the submissions table.

Manual linking

If Marking.ai couldn’t identify the student, the submission row will show an unlinked state instead of a student name. To fix that:

  1. Open the submission’s row menu (or click the submission to open Mark details).
  2. Click Link to student.
  3. The Select student dialog opens. Search for the right student, or create a new one if they’re not in your list yet.
  4. Click to select — the link is saved immediately.

If a submission is linked to the wrong student, you can change it the same way: open the row, click to change the linked student, and pick the right one. The submission keeps its marks — only the linked student changes.

Why linking matters

Linking submissions to students unlocks a few useful things:

  • Student detail page — see how a student has done across all their assessments
  • Bulk share — send each student their own private link in one go
  • Class summaries and exports — include student names automatically

For more on student records, see Adding students individually and The student detail page.

Need help?

Click the chat icon in the app or email us at connect@marking.ai.

FAQs

What happens if I leave a submission unlinked?

It still gets marked — you’ll just see “Unlinked” instead of a student name. Some features (like bulk share by class) won’t include unlinked submissions.

Can Marking.ai create student records I haven’t entered myself?

Yes — if a submission has a name that doesn’t match an existing student, Marking.ai will create a new student record for you. You can edit it later.

What if two submissions get linked to the same student by mistake?

It’s fine — a student can have multiple submissions across (or within) assessments. If you genuinely have duplicates, use the merge tool. See Editing, merging, and archiving students.