Overleaf MCP Server


A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Overleaf integration, enabling AI assistants to help users edit and elaborate their LaTeX projects on https://www.overleaf.com via natural language interactions.

Features

- Authenticate with Overleaf via browser (secure session cookie storage)
- List all Overleaf projects for the authenticated user
- Get project details (metadata, file list, collaborators)
- Read/download files from a project
- Write/upload files to a project
- Create new projects
- Compile project and fetch logs/output PDF
- Search for projects by name
- Designed for Claude Desktop and other MCP-compatible clients
- MIT License

Installation & Authentication

Installing via Smithery

To install Overleaf MCP Server for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:

npx -y @smithery/cli install @your-org/mcp-server-overleaf --client claude

Installing Manually

1. Install via npx:

   npx -y @your-org/mcp-server-overleaf

   

2. On first run, the server will launch your browser to log in to Overleaf. After login, your session will be saved securely in ~/.overleaf-mcp/.

3. Add to Claude Desktop config:

   {

     "mcpServers": {

       "overleaf": {

         "command": "npx",

         "args": [

           "-y",

           "@joncarre/mcp-server-overleaf"

         ]

       }

     }

   }

   

Available Tools

1. Authenticate Overleaf (authenticate_overleaf)

Launches browser for Overleaf login and saves session cookies.

{}

2. List Projects (list_projects)

Lists all Overleaf projects for the authenticated user.

{}

3. Get Project Details (get_project_details)

Gets metadata and file list for a project.

{
  "projectId": "abcdef123456"
}

4. Read File (read_file)

Reads a file from a project.

{
  "projectId": "abcdef123456",
  "filePath": "main.tex"
}

5. Write File (write_file)

Writes/updates a file in a project.

{
  "projectId": "abcdef123456",
  "filePath": "main.tex",
  "content": "\\section{Introduction} ..."
}

6. Create Project (create_project)

Creates a new Overleaf project.

{
  "name": "My New Project",
  "templateId": "optional-template-id"
}

7. Compile Project (compile_project)

Triggers compilation and fetches logs/output PDF.

{
  "projectId": "abcdef123456"
}

8. Search Projects (search_projects)

Searches projects by name.

{
  "query": "thesis"
}

9. Add Collaborator (add_collaborator)

Add a collaborator to a project.

{
  "projectId": "abcdef123456",
  "email": "[email protected]",
  "role": "read" // or "write"
}

10. Remove Collaborator (remove_collaborator)

Remove a collaborator from a project.

{
  "projectId": "abcdef123456",
  "email": "[email protected]"
}

11. Rename Project (rename_project)

Rename a project.

{
  "projectId": "abcdef123456",
  "newName": "Renamed Project"
}

12. Export Project (export_project)

Export/download a project as a zip file.

{
  "projectId": "abcdef123456"
}

13. Import Project (import_project)

Import/upload a project from a zip file.

{
  "zipFilePath": "C:/path/to/project.zip"
}

14. Delete Project (delete_project)

Delete a project.

{
  "projectId": "abcdef123456"
}

15. Clone Project (clone_project)

Duplicate/clone a project.

{
  "projectId": "abcdef123456",
  "newName": "Cloned Project"
}

16. Set Project Read-Only (set_project_readonly)

Set a project as read-only or writable.

{
  "projectId": "abcdef123456",
  "readOnly": true
}

17. List Collaborators (list_collaborators)

List all collaborators and their roles for a project.

{
  "projectId": "abcdef123456"
}

Security Notes

- Session cookies are stored securely in your local environment (~/.overleaf-mcp/)
- Never share or commit your credentials to version control
- Credentials are only accessible by the current user
- Never log or expose session cookies or user data
- Validate all user input to prevent injection attacks
- Only allow authenticated users to access Overleaf endpoints
- Never expose internal errors or stack traces to the client

Support

If you encounter any issues or have questions, please file an issue on the GitHub repository.

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