<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2013-09-03</periodOfReport>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001145197</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>INSULET CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>PODD</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001395777</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>DeSisto Duane</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O INSULET CORPORATION</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>9 OAK PARK DRIVE</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>BEDFORD</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>01730</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <officerTitle>President and CEO</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2013-09-03</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>M</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness></transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>20000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>3.60</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>202433</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2013-09-03</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness></transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>20000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>33.3808</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>182433</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <derivativeTable>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>3.60</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2013-09-03</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>M</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness></transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>20000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <footnoteId id="F5"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2015-02-09</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>20000</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>5527</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>
    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Includes an aggregate of 8,777 shares acquired under the Insulet Corporation Amended and Restated 2007 Employee Stock Purchase Plan on the following dates:  219 shares acquired on December 31, 2007;  694 shares acquired on June 30, 2008; 1,429 shares acquired on December 31, 2008; 1,431 shares acquired on June 30, 2009; 772 shares acquired on December 31, 2009; 749 shares acquired on June 30, 2010; 732 shares acquired on December 31, 2010; 532 shares acquired on June 30, 2011; 640 shares acquired on December 30, 2011; 580 shares acquired on June 29, 2012; 589 shares acquired on December 31, 2012; and 410 shares acquired on June 28, 2013.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Includes 13,334 restricted stock units granted on March 1, 2011 which vest on March 1, 2014; 52,500 restricted stock units granted on April 1, 2012 which vest one-third of the total units on April 1, 2014, one-third of the total units on April 1, 2015 and one-third of the total units on April 1, 2016; and 60,000 restricted stock units granted on March 1, 2013 which vest one-quarter of the total units on March 1, 2014, one-quarter of the total units on March 1, 2015, one-quarter of the total units on March 1, 2016 and one-quarter of the total units on March 1, 2017.  Vested shares will be delivered to the reporting person as soon as practiable following a vesting date.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">The sales reported in this Form 4 were effected pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted by the reporting person on November 13, 2012.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">The price reported represents the weighted average sale price of the shares sold.  The shares were sold at varying prices in the range of $32.855 to $33.60.  The reporting Person hereby undertakes, upon request of the Staff of the U.S Securities Exchange Commission, the Issuer or a security holder of the Issuer, to provide full information regarding the number of shares sold at each separate price.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">This option may be exercised at any time, whether vested or not, but, upon termination of employment, we may repurchase any unvested shares at the exercise price paid for the shares.  This option is subject to a four-year vesting period, with 25% of the total award vesting one year after the grant date and the remainder vesting in equal monthly installments each month thereafter for 36 months, subject to continued employment.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ R. Anthony Diehl, attorney in fact</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2013-09-05</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
