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

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2016-09-08</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001355754</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>INSTRUCTURE INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>INST</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001657226</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Marcus Adam D.</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O INSTRUCTURE, INC.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>6330 SOUTH 3000 EAST, SUITE 700</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>SALT LAKE CITY</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>UT</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>84121</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2016-09-08</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>1078</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>24.2504</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>109974</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>By OpenView Affiliates Fund II, L.P.</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2016-09-08</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>1624</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>24.2504</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>165703</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>By OpenView Affiliates Fund, L.P.</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2016-09-08</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>21872</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>24.2504</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>2231673</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>By OpenView Venture Partners II, L.P.</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2016-09-08</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F4"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>21326</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>24.2504</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>2175944</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>By OpenView Venture Partners, L.P.</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">On September 8, 2016 OpenView Affiliates Fund II, L.P. (&quot;OAF II LP&quot;), a venture capital partnership, sold 1,078 shares of Common Stock of the Issuer. OpenView General Partner II, L.P. (&quot;OGP II LP&quot;) is the general partner of OAF II LP.  Mr. Marcus is a managing partner at OpenView Venture Partners.  Mr. Marcus disclaims beneficial ownership of the securities held by these entities except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">On September 8, 2016 OpenView Affiliates Fund, L.P. (&quot;OAF LP&quot;), a venture capital partnership, sold 1,624 shares of Common Stock of the Issuer.  OpenView General Partner L.P. (&quot;OGP LP&quot;) is the general partner of OAF LP.  Mr. Marcus is a managing partner at OpenView Venture Partners.  Mr. Marcus disclaims beneficial ownership of the securities held by these entities except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">On September 8, 2016, OpenView Venture Partners II, L.P. (&quot;OVP II LP&quot;), a venture capital partnership, sold 21,872 shares of Common Stock of the Issuer.  OpenView General Partner II, L.P. (&quot;OGP II LP&quot;) is the general partner of OVP II LP.  Mr. Marcus is a managing partner at OpenView Venture Partners.  Mr. Marcus disclaims beneficial ownership of the securities held by these entities except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">On September 8, 2016, OpenView Venture Partners, L.P. (&quot;OVP LP&quot;), a venture capital partnership, sold 21,326 shares of Common Stock of the Issuer.  OpenView General Partner, L.P. (&quot;OGP LP&quot;) is the general partner of OVP LP.  Mr. Marcus is a managing partner at OpenView Venture Partners.  Mr. Marcus disclaims beneficial ownership of the securities held by these entities except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">The price reported represents the weighted average sale price of the shares sold.  The prices of the shares sold in the Reported Transaction ranged from $24.0628 to $24.451.  The Reporting Person hereby undertakes, upon request of the Staff of the U.S. Securities and 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>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks>Exhibit 24 - Power of Attorney (incorporated by reference to the Power of Attorney filed as Exhibit 24 to the Form 3 filed by the Reporting Person on November 12, 2015)</remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Matthew A. Kaminer, Attorney-in-Fact</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2016-09-12</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
