overleap

Leap over the browser.
Real-time bidirectional sync between Overleaf and your local filesystem.

Edit LaTeX in your favorite editor. Changes appear on Overleaf instantly — and vice versa.

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Why?

Overleaf is great for collaboration. Your local editor is great for writing. overleap bridges the two — no manual pull/push, no git middleware, just real-time OT sync over Overleaf's native protocol.

Once your Overleaf project is just local files, anything that can edit files can edit Overleaf — Neovim, VS Code, scripts, and yes, AI agents.

Your AI assistant writes LaTeX. Collaborators see it on Overleaf. In real time.

Prerequisites

• Node.js >= 18
• git (needed to install the Overleaf-compatible socket.io client)

Quick Start

npm install -g overleap
# 1. List your projects
overleap projects --cookie "your_session_cookie"# 2. Start syncing — pick by number, name, or ID
overleap sync -p 3 --dir ./my-paper
overleap sync -p "quantum" --dir ./my-paper
overleap sync -p 64a1b2c3d4e5f6... --dir ./my-paper

Or use a .env file:

OVERLEAF_COOKIE=your_session_cookie

Then just:

overleap sync
# → shows numbered project list, pick one interactively

How It Works

 Local Editor Overleaf
┌──────────┐ OT ops over WS ┌──────────┐
│ .tex │ ◄──────────────────► │ Project │
│ files │ Socket.IO v0.9 │ docs │
└──────────┘ └──────────┘
▲ ▲
│ chokidar │
│ (fs watch) Operational Transform
│ (same protocol as
▼ Overleaf editor)
overleap

1. Connects to Overleaf using the same WebSocket protocol as the browser editor
2. Downloads all project files on first run; uploads local-only files to the server
3. Watches local files — text edits are diffed and sent as OT operations, binary files are uploaded via multipart API
4. Receives remote changes — applied to local files atomically
5. New files/docs created by collaborators are auto-downloaded

Commands

Command	Description
overleap sync	Start bidirectional sync
overleap projects	List available projects
overleap compile	Trigger compilation & download PDF

Options

Flag	Env Variable	Description
--project, -p	OVERLEAF_PROJECT_ID	Project number, name (fuzzy), or ID
--dir, -d	OVERLEAF_DIR	Local directory (default: cwd)
--cookie, -c	OVERLEAF_COOKIE	Session cookie
--url, -u	OVERLEAF_URL	Server URL (default: overleaf.com)

Project selection is flexible — omit -p for an interactive numbered list, or:

-p 3 # pick 3rd project from list
-p "quantum"# fuzzy match by name
-p 64a1b2c3d4e5... # direct Overleaf project ID

Getting Your Cookie

1. Open overleaf.com and log in
2. DevTools → Application → Cookies
3. Copy the full cookie string (or just the overleaf_session2 value)

Features

• Text files (.tex, .bib, .sty, etc.) — live OT sync, same protocol as the Overleaf editor
• Binary files (images, PDFs, etc.) — auto upload/download/update via REST API
• AI-agent friendly — flush debouncing and content stability checks prevent corrupted uploads from rapid edits
• Local-only file detection — files that exist locally but not on the server are uploaded on initial sync

Limitations

• Requires a valid session cookie (no OAuth yet)

License

MIT