MCP server that lets compatible clients (e.g., Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code) interact with Overleaf projects via tools and resources.
If you already use Overleaf, the overleaf mcp server is the piece that lets your assistant work with it directly. MCP server that lets compatible clients (e.g., Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code) interact with Overleaf projects via tools and resources.
Setup follows the usual MCP pattern — install or clone the server, register it in your client's configuration file, restart the client. The configuration blocks on this page cover the common clients.
The toolset is worth reading before you wire it up, because it tells you what the integration is really for:
list_of_files — List all files in the projectread_file — Read a specified file from the projectConfiguration is passed through the environment: PROJECT_ID, OVERLEAF_TOKEN, YOUR_PROJECT_ID, YOUR_OVERLEAF_TOKEN. Treat anything key-shaped as a real credential — scope it to the minimum the server needs, and rotate it if it ever lands in a shared config.
This sits in the developer tooling group, where several servers overlap in what they claim to do but differ sharply once you actually set them up. Overleaf's toolset — list_of_files, read_file — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by m-h-amini; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.
This entry was verified against Overleaf's own documentation before publication; SyncDev keeps the directory reviewed rather than auto-generated.
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| list_of_files | List all files in the project. |
| read_file | Read a specified file from the project. |
{
"mcpServers": {
"overleaf": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["overleaf-mcp"],
"env": {
"PROJECT_ID": "<YOUR_PROJECT_ID>",
"OVERLEAF_TOKEN": "<YOUR_OVERLEAF_TOKEN>"
},
"timeout": 120000
}
}
}Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.
| Variable | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|
| PROJECT_ID | Configuration value read at startup. | Optional |
| OVERLEAF_TOKEN | Credential the server authenticates with. | Yes |
| YOUR_PROJECT_ID | Configuration value read at startup. | Optional |
| YOUR_OVERLEAF_TOKEN | Credential the server authenticates with. | Yes |
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