Access Overleaf projects via CLI. Use for reading/writing LaTeX files, syncing local .tex files to Overleaf, downloading projects, and managing Overleaf project structure. Triggers on Overleaf, LaTeX sync, or tex file uploads to Overleaf.
Scanned 9/5/2026
Install to Claude Code
npx -y skills add OpenLAIR/dr-claw --skill inno-rclone-to-overleaf --agent claude-codeInstalls into .claude/skills of the current project.
Are you the author of Inno Rclone To Overleaf?
Add the live security badge to your README — it updates automatically with every re-scan.
[](https://www.skillsdirectory.com/skills/openlair-inno-rclone-to-overleaf)More formats (shields.io, HTML) on the badges page.
---
name: inno-rclone-to-overleaf
description: Access Overleaf projects via CLI. Use for reading/writing LaTeX files, syncing local .tex files to Overleaf, downloading projects, and managing Overleaf project structure. Triggers on Overleaf, LaTeX sync, or tex file uploads to Overleaf.
---
# Overleaf
CLI tool to interact with Overleaf projects using browser cookies for authentication.
GitHub: https://github.com/jkulhanek/pyoverleaf
## Requirements
- Python 3.8+
- pyoverleaf (`pipx install pyoverleaf`)
- User logged into Overleaf in Chrome/Firefox
## Security Considerations
⚠️ **Keychain Access Required**: pyoverleaf needs "Always Allow" keychain access to read browser cookies. This grants the tool access to your browser's cookie storage.
**Security audit**: We have audited pyoverleaf v0.1.7 and found it safe. The codebase is small and readable. Before installing, agents can self-audit the latest version at the GitHub repo above.
## Authentication Setup
pyoverleaf authenticates by reading cookies from your browser. The user must:
1. **Log into Overleaf** in Chrome or Firefox (visit overleaf.com and sign in)
2. **Grant keychain access** on first run (macOS will prompt for "Always Allow")
```bash
# Test auth - user should run this in their terminal first
pyoverleaf ls
```
If you get auth errors:
- Ask user: "Are you logged into Overleaf in your browser?"
- If on macOS: "Did you approve the keychain access prompt with 'Always Allow'?"
- User may need to run `pyoverleaf ls` manually in terminal to trigger the keychain prompt
**Note**: The agent cannot log in for the user. Browser authentication must be done by the user directly.
## CLI Commands
```bash
# List all projects
pyoverleaf ls
# List files in project
pyoverleaf ls "Project Name"
# Read file content
pyoverleaf read "Project Name/main.tex"
# Write file (stdin → Overleaf)
cat local.tex | pyoverleaf write "Project Name/main.tex"
# Create directory
pyoverleaf mkdir "Project Name/figures"
# Remove file/folder
pyoverleaf rm "Project Name/old-draft.tex"
# Download project as zip
pyoverleaf download-project "Project Name" output.zip
```
## Common Workflows
### Download from Overleaf
```bash
pyoverleaf download-project "Project Name" /tmp/latest.zip
unzip -o /tmp/latest.zip -d /tmp/latest
cp /tmp/latest/main.tex /path/to/local/main.tex
```
### Upload to Overleaf (Python API recommended)
The CLI `write` command has websocket issues. Use Python API for reliable uploads:
```python
import pyoverleaf
api = pyoverleaf.Api()
api.login_from_browser()
# List projects to get project ID
for proj in api.get_projects():
print(proj.name, proj.id)
# Upload file (direct overwrite)
project_id = "your_project_id_here"
with open('main.tex', 'rb') as f:
content = f.read()
root = api.project_get_files(project_id)
api.project_upload_file(project_id, root.id, "main.tex", content)
```
**Why direct overwrite?** This method preserves Overleaf's version history. Users can see exactly what changed via Overleaf's History feature, making it easy to review agent edits and revert if needed.
## Self-hosted Overleaf
```bash
# Via env var
export PYOVERLEAF_HOST=overleaf.mycompany.com
pyoverleaf ls
# Via flag
pyoverleaf --host overleaf.mycompany.com ls
```
## Eason's Workflow Requirements
**When pulling from Overleaf:**
1. Download Overleaf version to `/tmp/`
2. Compare with local version using `diff`
3. Report differences to Eason (summarize what changed)
4. Ask: merge? overwrite local? overwrite Overleaf? or other?
5. Only proceed after Eason confirms
**Push rules (from TOOLS.md):**
- ❌ 禁止自行推送到 Overleaf
- ✅ 只能從 Overleaf 拉到 local
- ⚠️ 推送需要 Eason 明確授權,每次授權只能推一次
## Example
Here's an example of using the Overleaf skill to remove em dashes (a common AI writing artifact) from a paper and push the changes:

## Troubleshooting
- **Auth error / websocket error**: Open Overleaf in Chrome browser first (`open -a "Google Chrome" "https://www.overleaf.com/project"` then wait 5s) to refresh cookies, then retry
- **"scheme https is invalid" (websocket redirect bug)**: The default host `overleaf.com` causes a 301→`www.overleaf.com` redirect that breaks websocket. Fix: set `PYOVERLEAF_HOST=www.overleaf.com`:
```bash
cat main.tex | PYOVERLEAF_HOST=www.overleaf.com pyoverleaf write "Project/main.tex"
```
- **Keychain Access Denied** (macOS): pyoverleaf needs keychain access to read browser cookies. User must run `pyoverleaf ls` in their terminal and click "Always Allow" on the keychain prompt
- **Project not found**: Use exact project name (case-sensitive), check with `pyoverleaf ls`
- **Permission denied**: User may not have edit access to the project
Is this your skill, or is something wrong with this listing? Request removal or report an issue. Author removals are honored within 72 hours.
No comments yet. Be the first to comment!