Content
# Overleaf MCP Server
An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that provides access to Overleaf projects via Git integration. This allows Claude and other MCP clients to read LaTeX files, analyze document structure, extract content, and write files from and to Overleaf projects.
## Features
- 📄 **File Management**: List, read, and write files from and to Overleaf projects
- 📋 **Document Structure**: Parse LaTeX sections and subsections
- 🔍 **Content Extraction**: Extract specific sections by title
- 📊 **Project Summary**: Get overview of project status and structure
- 🏗️ **Multi-Project Support**: Manage multiple Overleaf projects
## Quick Start (recommended)
No clone, no `npm install`. Add this block to your Claude Desktop config and restart Claude Desktop.
**Config file location**
| OS | Path |
|---------|------|
| Windows | `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json` |
| macOS | `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json` |
| Linux | `~/.config/claude/claude_desktop_config.json` |
**macOS / Linux**
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"overleaf": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@mjyoo2/overleaf-mcp"],
"env": {
"OVERLEAF_PROJECT_ID": "YOUR_OVERLEAF_PROJECT_ID",
"OVERLEAF_GIT_TOKEN": "YOUR_OVERLEAF_GIT_TOKEN"
}
}
}
}
```
**Windows** — Claude Desktop on Windows needs `cmd /c` to find `npx`:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"overleaf": {
"command": "cmd",
"args": ["/c", "npx", "-y", "@mjyoo2/overleaf-mcp"],
"env": {
"OVERLEAF_PROJECT_ID": "YOUR_OVERLEAF_PROJECT_ID",
"OVERLEAF_GIT_TOKEN": "YOUR_OVERLEAF_GIT_TOKEN"
}
}
}
}
```
Restart Claude Desktop. The `overleaf` tools should appear in the 🔧 menu.
## Multi-Project Setup
The env-var Quick Start only handles a single project. For multiple projects, drop a `projects.json` file into the user config directory and skip the `env` block in your Claude Desktop config.
**File location**
| OS | Path |
|-----------------|------|
| Windows | `%APPDATA%\overleaf-mcp\projects.json` |
| macOS / Linux | `~/.config/overleaf-mcp/projects.json` (or `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/overleaf-mcp/projects.json` if set) |
**File contents**
```json
{
"projects": {
"default": {
"name": "Main Paper",
"projectId": "...",
"gitToken": "olp_..."
},
"thesis": {
"name": "PhD Thesis",
"projectId": "...",
"gitToken": "olp_..."
}
}
}
```
**Claude Desktop config** — same as Quick Start but no `env` block:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"overleaf": {
"command": "cmd",
"args": ["/c", "npx", "-y", "@mjyoo2/overleaf-mcp"]
}
}
}
```
(Drop `cmd /c` on macOS / Linux.)
Reference a specific project in tool calls with `projectName`:
```
Use read_file with filePath: "main.tex", projectName: "thesis"
```
If `projectName` is omitted, the `default` entry is used. To put `projects.json` somewhere other than the standard location, point `OVERLEAF_PROJECTS_CONFIG=/absolute/path/projects.json` at it from the `env` block.
## Getting Overleaf Credentials
1. **Project ID** — open your Overleaf project; the ID is in the URL: `https://www.overleaf.com/project/[PROJECT_ID]`
2. **Git Token** — Overleaf → Account Settings → Git Integration → "Create Token"
## Configuration Reference
The server picks the **first** matching configuration source:
1. **Env vars (single project)** — `OVERLEAF_PROJECT_ID` + `OVERLEAF_GIT_TOKEN`. Optional: `OVERLEAF_PROJECT_NAME` for the display name.
2. **Token from a file** — set `OVERLEAF_PROJECT_ID` together with `OVERLEAF_GIT_TOKEN_FILE=/path/to/token.txt` (instead of `OVERLEAF_GIT_TOKEN`). Useful when you don't want the token in the Claude Desktop JSON. The file is read once at startup and any trailing whitespace/newline is trimmed.
3. **Multi-project file** — `OVERLEAF_PROJECTS_CONFIG=/absolute/path/projects.json`.
4. **User config dir** — `projects.json` in:
- Windows: `%APPDATA%\overleaf-mcp\projects.json`
- macOS / Linux: `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/overleaf-mcp/projects.json` (defaults to `~/.config/overleaf-mcp/projects.json`)
5. **Working directory** — `./projects.json`
6. **Package directory** — `projects.json` next to the server script (legacy, for clone-based installs).
When env vars are set and a file is also present, env vars win and a notice is logged to stderr so the shadowing is visible.
### `projects.json` schema (multi-project)
```json
{
"projects": {
"default": {
"name": "Main Paper",
"projectId": "...",
"gitToken": "olp_..."
},
"paper2": {
"name": "Second Paper",
"projectId": "...",
"gitToken": "olp_..."
}
}
}
```
Then specify the project in tool calls: `projectName: "paper2"`.
## Local Development
If you want to hack on the server, test changes before publishing, or use it without the npm package being available, you have three local-install options.
### Option 1 — Run the cloned script directly
```bash
git clone https://github.com/mjyoo2/OverleafMCP.git
cd OverleafMCP
npm install
```
Then point Claude Desktop at the script and pass credentials via env vars (the same loader path the npm package uses):
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"overleaf": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/absolute/path/to/OverleafMCP/overleaf-mcp-server.js"],
"env": {
"OVERLEAF_PROJECT_ID": "...",
"OVERLEAF_GIT_TOKEN": "olp_..."
}
}
}
}
```
On Windows, `args` should use `"C:\\Users\\you\\OverleafMCP\\overleaf-mcp-server.js"`.
If you'd rather use a multi-project file:
```bash
cp projects.example.json projects.json # then edit it
```
`projects.json` next to the script is the lowest-priority fallback, so this still works without env vars.
### Option 2 — Test the packed npm artifact locally
Validates almost the same code path users hit through the public registry, useful before pushing a release:
```bash
npm pack
# → mjyoo2-overleaf-mcp-<version>.tgz
```
Point Claude Desktop at the tarball. Note the explicit `--package=` and bin name — `npx -y <tarball-path>` does **not** work in npm 10+ (the path is mis-detected as an executable):
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"overleaf": {
"command": "cmd",
"args": [
"/c", "npx", "-y",
"--package=C:\\absolute\\path\\to\\mjyoo2-overleaf-mcp-<version>.tgz",
"overleaf-mcp"
],
"env": {
"OVERLEAF_PROJECT_ID": "...",
"OVERLEAF_GIT_TOKEN": "olp_..."
}
}
}
}
```
On macOS / Linux drop the `cmd /c` wrapper: `"command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "--package=/abs/path/to/...tgz", "overleaf-mcp"]`.
### Option 3 — Smoke-test the MCP protocol from the shell
No Claude Desktop required:
```bash
OVERLEAF_PROJECT_ID=... OVERLEAF_GIT_TOKEN=... node overleaf-mcp-server.js
```
You should see `Overleaf MCP server running on stdio` on stderr. The process stays open waiting for JSON-RPC on stdin; Ctrl+C to exit.
## Available Tools
### `list_projects`
List all configured projects.
### `list_files`
List files in a project (default: .tex files).
- `extension`: File extension filter (optional)
- `projectName`: Project identifier (optional, defaults to "default")
### `read_file`
Read a specific file from the project.
- `filePath`: Path to the file (required)
- `projectName`: Project identifier (optional)
### `get_sections`
Get all sections from a LaTeX file.
- `filePath`: Path to the LaTeX file (required)
- `projectName`: Project identifier (optional)
### `get_section_content`
Get content of a specific section.
- `filePath`: Path to the LaTeX file (required)
- `sectionTitle`: Title of the section (required)
- `projectName`: Project identifier (optional)
### `status_summary`
Get a comprehensive project status summary.
- `projectName`: Project identifier (optional)
### `write_file`
Write the full content of a file to the project.
- `filePath`: Path to the file (required)
- `content`: Content to write to the file (required)
- `commitMessage`: Commit message (required)
- `projectName`: Project identifier (optional)
### `write_section`
Write the content of a specific section to the project.
- `filePath`: Path to the file (required)
- `sectionTitle`: Title of the section (required)
- `newContent`: Replacement content for the section, including the section heading (required)
- `commitMessage`: Commit message (required)
- `projectName`: Project identifier (optional)
## Usage Examples
```
# List all projects
Use the list_projects tool
# Get project overview
Use status_summary tool
# Read main.tex file
Use read_file with filePath: "main.tex"
# Get Introduction section
Use get_section_content with filePath: "main.tex" and sectionTitle: "Introduction"
# List all sections in a file
Use get_sections with filePath: "main.tex"
# Write the full content of a file to the project
Use write_file with filePath: "main.tex", content: "...", commitMessage: "..."
# Write the content of a specific section to the project
Use write_section with filePath: "main.tex", sectionTitle: "Introduction", newContent: "\\section{Introduction}\n...", commitMessage: "..."
```
## Security Notes
- The Overleaf Git token grants full read/write access to your project — treat it like a password.
- Prefer `OVERLEAF_GIT_TOKEN_FILE` over inlining the token in the Claude Desktop JSON if your config file is backed up or synced.
- `projects.json` is `.gitignore`d in this repo. Never commit real project IDs or Git tokens.
- File paths supplied through MCP tool calls are restricted to the cloned project directory; `..` traversal and absolute paths are rejected.
## License
MIT License
