OverleafMCP (MCP server) — Use Cases, Install & Live Demo

Why use it

Key features

Read project tree and individual .tex files
Parse LaTeX into a section / subsection tree
Push edits via Overleaf's Git bridge (no overwrite hazards)
Bibtex inspection for citation work
Works with any Overleaf paid tier that exposes Git

Live Demo

What it looks like in practice

overleaf-mcp.replay ▶ ready

0/0

Install

Pick your client

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json · Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "overleaf-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@mjyoo2/overleaf-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "OVERLEAF_PROJECT_URL": "https://www.overleaf.com/project/<id>",
        "OVERLEAF_GIT_TOKEN": "your_overleaf_git_token"
      }
    }
  }
}

Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config. Restart after saving.

~/.cursor/mcp.json · .cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "overleaf-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@mjyoo2/overleaf-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "OVERLEAF_PROJECT_URL": "https://www.overleaf.com/project/<id>",
        "OVERLEAF_GIT_TOKEN": "your_overleaf_git_token"
      }
    }
  }
}

Cursor uses the same mcpServers schema as Claude Desktop. Project config wins over global.

VS Code → Cline → MCP Servers → Edit

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "overleaf-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@mjyoo2/overleaf-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "OVERLEAF_PROJECT_URL": "https://www.overleaf.com/project/<id>",
        "OVERLEAF_GIT_TOKEN": "your_overleaf_git_token"
      }
    }
  }
}

Click the MCP Servers icon in the Cline sidebar, then "Edit Configuration".

~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "overleaf-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@mjyoo2/overleaf-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "OVERLEAF_PROJECT_URL": "https://www.overleaf.com/project/<id>",
        "OVERLEAF_GIT_TOKEN": "your_overleaf_git_token"
      }
    }
  }
}

Same shape as Claude Desktop. Restart Windsurf to pick up changes.

~/.continue/config.json

{
  "mcpServers": [
    {
      "name": "overleaf-mcp",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@mjyoo2/overleaf-mcp"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Continue uses an array of server objects rather than a map.

~/.config/zed/settings.json

{
  "context_servers": {
    "overleaf-mcp": {
      "command": {
        "path": "npx",
        "args": [
          "-y",
          "@mjyoo2/overleaf-mcp"
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to context_servers. Zed hot-reloads on save.

claude mcp add overleaf-mcp -- npx -y @mjyoo2/overleaf-mcp

One-liner. Verify with claude mcp list. Remove with claude mcp remove.

Use Cases

Real-world ways to use OverleafMCP

Tighten a paper section without leaving Claude

👤 Researchers, technical writers ⏱ ~20 min intermediate

When to use: Reviewer 2 said section 3 is verbose — you have 30 minutes to fix it.

Prerequisites

Overleaf paid tier with Git access — Account → Account Settings → Git authentication

Flow

Locate

Use Overleaf MCP. Find section 3 in main.tex. Show me current text.✓ Copied

→ Section text returned with line range
Rewrite

Tighten this 30%. Keep technical terms intact. Don't drop citations.✓ Copied

→ Shorter rewrite preserving cites
Push

Replace section 3 with the rewrite. Commit with message 'Tighten §3 per reviewer 2'.✓ Copied

→ Git push succeeded; project re-renders in Overleaf

Outcome: Edits land in Overleaf; you didn't touch the web UI.

Pitfalls

Concurrent edits from co-author cause merge — Pull before push; resolve conflicts in Claude with diff context

Combine with: filesystem

Audit citations in a paper

👤 Authors finalizing a manuscript ⏱ ~15 min beginner

When to use: Pre-submission — you want to be sure every \cite has a matching .bib entry.

Flow

Inventory

List every \cite{} key in main.tex. Cross-check against refs.bib.✓ Copied

→ Match table; orphans flagged
Fix

For each orphan key, suggest the closest match from .bib or mark as missing.✓ Copied

→ Per-orphan recommendation

Outcome: Zero broken citations before you click Submit.

Pitfalls

Citations inside comments still match — Strip LaTeX comments before regex

Move sections around with confidence

👤 Authors restructuring chapters ⏱ ~30 min advanced

When to use: Section flow is off; you want to swap sections 2 and 4.

Flow

Map

Show me the section tree of main.tex with line ranges.✓ Copied

→ Hierarchical tree
Reorder

Swap section 2 with section 4. Update internal references (\ref) accordingly.✓ Copied

→ Swap done; refs verified

Outcome: Restructured paper compiles clean.

Pitfalls

Forward references break — Compile after reorder; Claude can read errors and fix

Combinations

Pair with other MCPs for X10 leverage

overleaf-mcp + filesystem

Local backup of paper before structural edits

Snapshot the project to /papers/backup/ before any structural changes.✓ Copied

overleaf-mcp + github

Mirror to GitHub for issue-tracked review

Push the same commits to my GitHub mirror so co-authors can leave PR comments.✓ Copied

Tools

What this MCP exposes

Tool	Inputs	When to call	Cost
list_files	(none)	Discover project layout	free
read_file	path	Pull a .tex / .bib for inspection	free
parse_structure	path	Outline before editing	free
edit_section	path, section_id, new_text	Surgical replacement	free
git_push	message	Persist edits to Overleaf	free

Cost & Limits

What this costs to run

API quota: Overleaf Git is rate-limited (be reasonable)
Tokens per call: 500–10000 depending on file size
Monetary: Free MCP; Overleaf paid tier required for Git
Tip: Read sections, not whole files, when iterating

Security

Permissions, secrets, blast radius

Minimum scopes: Overleaf Git token — repo-level read/write

Credential storage: OVERLEAF_GIT_TOKEN env var

Data egress: git.overleaf.com

Never grant: Token access to other people's projects

Tokens are project-scoped; rotate when your laptop changes hands

Troubleshooting

Common errors and fixes

Authentication failed during git_push

Token may be expired; regenerate in Overleaf settings

Verify: git ls-remote with the same URL+token

Tree-sitter LaTeX errors on parse

Some macros confuse the parser; fall back to read_file + manual scope

Push rejected (non-fast-forward)

Co-author pushed; pull first, resolve, push again

Alternatives

OverleafMCP vs others

Alternative	When to use it instead	Tradeoff
VimTeX / TeXShop locally	You don't need cloud sync at all	No Overleaf collab
Overleaf web editor	Light edits only	No agent access; manual

More

Resources

📖 Read the official README on GitHub

🐙 Browse open issues

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