@markfu909/overleaf-mcp

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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, and extract content from Overleaf projects.

Features

• File Management: List and read files from 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 (npx)

The easiest way to use this MCP server is via npx. Add to your Claude Desktop configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "overleaf": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@markfu909/overleaf-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Then create a projects.json file in your home directory at ~/.overleaf-mcp/projects.json:

{
  "projects": {
    "default": {
      "name": "My Paper",
      "projectId": "YOUR_OVERLEAF_PROJECT_ID",
      "gitToken": "YOUR_OVERLEAF_GIT_TOKEN"
    }
  }
}

Manual Installation

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/tianhao909/overleaf-mcp.git
   cd overleaf-mcp

1. Install dependencies:

   npm install

1. Set up your projects configuration:

   cp projects.example.json projects.json

1. Edit projects.json with your Overleaf credentials:

   {
     "projects": {
       "default": {
         "name": "My Paper",
         "projectId": "YOUR_OVERLEAF_PROJECT_ID",
         "gitToken": "YOUR_OVERLEAF_GIT_TOKEN"
       }
     }
   }

Getting Overleaf Credentials

1. Git Token:

• Go to Overleaf Account Settings → Git Integration
• Click "Create Token"

1. Project ID:

• Open your Overleaf project
• Find it in the URL: https://www.overleaf.com/project/[PROJECT_ID]

Claude Desktop Setup

Add to your Claude Desktop configuration file:

Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json Linux: ~/.config/claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "overleaf": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "/path/to/OverleafMCP/overleaf-mcp-server.js"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop after configuration.

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)

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"

Multi-Project Usage

To work with multiple projects, add them to projects.json:

{
  "projects": {
    "default": {
      "name": "Main Paper",
      "projectId": "project-id-1",
      "gitToken": "token-1"
    },
    "paper2": {
      "name": "Second Paper", 
      "projectId": "project-id-2",
      "gitToken": "token-2"
    }
  }
}

Then specify the project in tool calls:

Use get_section_content with projectName: "paper2", filePath: "main.tex", sectionTitle: "Methods"

File Structure

OverleafMCP/
├── overleaf-mcp-server.js    # Main MCP server
├── overleaf-git-client.js    # Git client library
├── projects.json             # Your project configuration (gitignored)
├── projects.example.json     # Example configuration
├── package.json              # Dependencies
└── README.md                 # This file

Security Notes

• projects.json is gitignored to protect your credentials
• Never commit real project IDs or Git tokens
• Use the provided projects.example.json as a template

Acknowledgements

This project is forked from mjyoo2/OverleafMCP. Special thanks to the original author for creating this excellent MCP server.

Changes in this fork:

• Added npm package support (installable via npx)
• Added Chinese documentation
• Support multiple config file locations
• Various improvements for easier deployment

License

MIT License