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https://github.com/aloth/olcli

Overleaf CLI — Command-line interface to sync, manage, and compile LaTeX projects from your terminal.
https://github.com/aloth/olcli

academic-writing automation cli command-line developer-tools latex latex-compiler latex-editor latex-sync latex-tools nodejs overleaf overleaf-api overleaf-cli overleaf-sync pdf-download productivity research-tools sync-tool typescript

Last synced: about 2 months ago
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Overleaf CLI — Command-line interface to sync, manage, and compile LaTeX projects from your terminal.

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README 

          
# olcli — Overleaf CLI



**Command-line interface for Overleaf** — Sync, manage, and compile LaTeX projects from your terminal.



[![npm version](https://img.shields.io/npm/v/@aloth/olcli.svg)](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@aloth/olcli)

[![License: MIT](https://img.shields.io/badge/License-MIT-yellow.svg)](https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT)



Work with Overleaf projects directly from your command line. Edit locally with your favorite editor, version control with Git, and sync seamlessly with Overleaf's cloud compilation.





  olcli demo




## Features



**Full Overleaf command-line access:**



- 📋 **List** all your Overleaf projects

- ⬇️ **Pull** project files to local directory for offline editing

- ⬆️ **Push** local changes back to Overleaf

- 🔄 **Sync** bidirectionally with smart conflict detection

- 📄 **Compile** PDFs using Overleaf's remote compiler

- 📦 **Download** individual files or full project archives

- 📤 **Upload** files to projects

- 📊 **Output** compile artifacts (`.bbl`, `.log`, `.aux` for arXiv submissions)



**Perfect for:**

- Editing LaTeX in your preferred text editor (Vim, VS Code, Emacs, etc.)

- Version control with Git while using Overleaf's compiler

- Automating workflows and CI/CD pipelines

- Offline work with periodic sync

- Collaborative projects where some prefer CLI, others prefer web



## Installation



### Homebrew (macOS/Linux)



```bash

brew tap aloth/tap

brew install olcli

```



### npm (all platforms)



Install globally to use the `olcli` command anywhere:



```bash

npm install -g @aloth/olcli

```



Or use with `npx` without installation:



```bash

npx @aloth/olcli list

```



## Quick Start



### 1. Authenticate with Overleaf



Get your session cookie from Overleaf.com:



1. Log into [overleaf.com](https://www.overleaf.com)

2. Open Developer Tools (F12 or Cmd+Option+I) → Application/Storage → Cookies

3. Copy the value of `overleaf_session2`



Store it with olcli:



```bash

olcli auth --cookie "your_session_cookie_value"

```



**Tip:** The cookie stays valid for weeks. Just refresh it when authentication fails.



### 2. List Your Projects



```bash

olcli list

```



See all your Overleaf projects with IDs and last modified dates.



### 3. Pull a Project Locally



Download any project to work on it locally:



```bash

olcli pull "My Thesis"

cd My_Thesis/

```



Now you can edit `.tex` files with your preferred editor (Vim, VS Code, Emacs, etc.).



### 4. Edit Locally, Sync to Overleaf



```bash

# Edit files locally with your favorite editor

vim main.tex



# Push changes back to Overleaf

olcli push



# Or sync bidirectionally (pull + push in one command)

olcli sync

```



Your collaborators can continue using the Overleaf web editor — changes sync seamlessly.



### 5. Compile and Download PDF



Use Overleaf's remote compiler from the command line:



```bash

olcli pdf

```



The compiled PDF downloads automatically to your current directory.



## Commands



All commands auto-detect the project when run from a synced directory (contains `.olcli.json`).



| Command | Description |

|---------|-------------|

| `olcli auth` | Set session cookie |

| `olcli whoami` | Check authentication status |

| `olcli logout` | Clear stored credentials |

| `olcli list` | List all projects |

| `olcli info [project]` | Show project details and file list |

| `olcli pull [project] [dir]` | Download project files to local directory |

| `olcli push [dir]` | Upload local changes to Overleaf |

| `olcli sync [dir]` | Bidirectional sync (pull + push) |

| `olcli upload  [project]` | Upload a single file |

| `olcli download  [project]` | Download a single file |

| `olcli zip [project]` | Download project as zip archive |

| `olcli compile [project]` | Trigger PDF compilation |

| `olcli pdf [project]` | Compile and download PDF |

| `olcli output [type]` | Download compile output files |

| `olcli check` | Show config paths and credential sources |



## Use Cases



### Local Editing with Overleaf Compilation



Work offline in your favorite editor, push when ready, compile remotely:



```bash

olcli pull "Research Paper"

cd Research_Paper

vim introduction.tex

git commit -am "Update intro"

olcli push

olcli pdf

```



### Git Version Control + Overleaf



Keep your LaTeX project in Git while using Overleaf's compiler:



```bash

olcli pull "My Thesis" thesis

cd thesis

git init

git add .

git commit -m "Initial import from Overleaf"



# Daily workflow

vim chapters/methods.tex

git commit -am "Draft methods section"

olcli sync  # Sync with Overleaf

olcli pdf

```



### Automated Workflows



Integrate Overleaf compilation into CI/CD:



```bash

#!/bin/bash

olcli auth --cookie "$OVERLEAF_SESSION"

olcli pull "Automated Report"

./generate-data.py > tables/results.tex

olcli push

olcli pdf -o report-$(date +%Y-%m-%d).pdf

```



### arXiv Submissions



Download the `.bbl` file for arXiv submissions:



```bash

olcli output bbl --project "My Paper"

# Downloads: bbl

```



List all available compile output files:



```bash

olcli output --list

# Available output files:

#   aux          output.aux

#   bbl          output.bbl

#   blg          output.blg

#   log          output.log

#   ...

```



## Sync Behavior



### Pull

- Downloads all files from Overleaf

- **Skips** local files modified after last pull (won't overwrite your changes)

- Use `--force` to overwrite local changes



### Push

- Uploads files modified after last pull

- Use `--all` to upload all files

- Use `--dry-run` to preview changes



### Sync

- Pulls remote changes

- Preserves local modifications (local wins if newer)

- Pushes local changes to remote

- Use `--verbose` to see detailed file operations



## Configuration



Credentials are stored in (checked in order):



1. `OVERLEAF_SESSION` environment variable

2. `.olauth` file in current directory

3. Global config: `~/.config/olcli-nodejs/config.json` (macOS/Linux)



### .olauth File



For project-specific credentials, create `.olauth` in your project directory:



```

s%3AyourSessionCookieValue...

```



## Examples



### Work on a thesis



```bash

# Initial setup

olcli pull "PhD Thesis" thesis

cd thesis



# Daily workflow

vim chapters/introduction.tex

olcli sync

olcli pdf -o draft.pdf

```



### Quick PDF download



```bash

olcli pdf "Conference Paper" -o paper.pdf

```



### Download a single file



```bash

olcli download main.tex "My Project"

```



### Upload figures



```bash

cd my-project

olcli upload figures/diagram.png

```



### Backup all projects



```bash

for proj in $(olcli list --json | jq -r '.[].name'); do

  olcli zip "$proj" -o "backups/${proj}.zip"

done

```



### Prepare for arXiv



```bash

cd my-paper

olcli output bbl -o main.bbl

olcli zip -o arxiv-submission.zip

```



## Troubleshooting



### Session expired



If you get authentication errors, your session cookie may have expired. Get a fresh one from the browser and run `olcli auth` again.



### Compilation fails



Check the Overleaf web editor for detailed error logs. Common issues:

- Missing packages

- Syntax errors in `.tex` files

- Missing bibliography files



## Contributing



Contributions are welcome! Please open an issue or submit a pull request.



## License



MIT © [Alexander Loth](https://alexloth.com)