Overleaf Remote Skill
A skill and CLI olcli that edit Overleaf projects directly: precise replacements, uploads, PDF builds and a live edit session.
- 117 ★ on the repository
- Last commit
Extended access
Why this level
- The `overleaf_session2` session cookie grants access to the whole Overleaf account.
- The agent edits cloud projects directly rather than a local copy.
Install
- Works in
In your terminal, with SkillFoxx CLI
npx skillfoxx add skills/overleaf-remote-skillDetects the agents on your machine, shows the access level and pins the version.
Other ways to install
Access and checks
How we reviewExtended accessThe tool runs code or makes network calls and only reads external data.
- The `overleaf_session2` session cookie grants access to the whole Overleaf account.
- The agent edits cloud projects directly rather than a local copy.
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
Overleaf Remote Skill gives Codex direct editing of Overleaf projects from a terminal. The bundled `olcli` CLI sends small verified changes instead of a download, edit, upload cycle for the whole project: `replace`, `insert`, `append` and `prepend` for text, `mkdir`, `write` and `upload` for folders and files, `compile` and `pdf` for builds and fetching PDFs, logs and BBL. For a series of edits `olcli live` keeps one WebSocket open and sends only the needed insert and delete operations. In the author's test such edits took about 0.30 s against 3.03 s for HTTP replacement, though this is not a universal benchmark. Existing text is never replaced wholesale: `edit` and `write` fill only an empty document.
Who it is for. LaTeX paper authors working in Overleaf who want an agent to edit the cloud project without touching local copies.
Good fit when
- An agent edits a formula or paragraph in `main.tex` right in the cloud project.
- A chapter folder must be created and a figure uploaded to an exact path.
- The project is compiled and the PDF is fetched along with the error log.
- A run of small edits goes through one live session.
Not a fit when
- You need synchronisation through Git rather than a browser session.
- The account cookie cannot be trusted to an agent: sign-in uses the `overleaf_session2` value.
- You need to overwrite a whole existing document: `edit` and `write` are not meant for it.
Example request
In the project "My Paper" replace the phrase `old sentence` with `new sentence` in `main.tex`, then compile the project and save the PDF.Limitations
Sign-in uses the `overleaf_session2` cookie value. It opens account access, so pass it through `--stdin` rather than a command argument. Git and Node.js 18.17 or newer are required. The README describes installation for Codex and does not mention other agents. Speed depends on the network, project and Overleaf version. On an older self-hosted instance you can force the HTTP transport. For Windows the repository has separate PowerShell scripts.
How to disable. Delete the `~/.codex/skills/overleaf-remote` folder and clean `~/.olcli/`. Reset the cookie by signing out of Overleaf in the browser.
FAQ
How do I sign in to Overleaf?
Copy the `overleaf_session2` cookie value and pass it via `olcli auth --stdin` without pasting it into a command. Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari instructions are in `references/setup-and-cookie.md`.
Why is `olcli live` better than one-shot commands?
It keeps one WebSocket open and joins documents as needed. For a single edit `replace` or `insert` is enough.
Will the agent replace a whole document?
No. `edit` and `write` fill only an empty document, and `upload --to` refuses to write onto a non-empty text file.
How do I update the skill?
Run `git pull --ff-only` in the skill folder and run `scripts/install_olcli.sh` again.
What do I need to install it?
Git, Node.js 18.17 or newer and an Overleaf account. Codex is needed only when the repository is used as a skill: `olcli` also works directly from a terminal.
Discussion
No questions or reviews yet.
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README in short
The README separates one-shot commands from the live session and names a safe option for each operation. Installation and sign-in are described for macOS, Linux and Windows.