Overleaf CLI (olcli)

Sync and manage Overleaf LaTeX projects from the command line. Pull projects locally, push changes back, compile PDFs, and download compile outputs like .bbl...

Security Scan

The skill's code and instructions are consistent with an Overleaf CLI: it asks for your Overleaf session cookie, uses Homebrew/npm installation, and stores credentials locally — but verify the package source before giving a session cookie.

Purpose & Capability

Name/description match the SKILL.md, which documents olcli commands for listing, pulling, pushing, compiling, and downloading Overleaf project outputs. The commands and workflows described are coherent with a CLI for Overleaf.

Instruction Scope

Runtime instructions only instruct the user to supply the Overleaf session cookie and run the olcli commands. The SKILL.md and references explain where the cookie is stored and how project metadata (.olcli.json) is written. There are no instructions to read unrelated files or exfiltrate data to unknown endpoints.

Install Mechanism

There is no forced install spec in registry metadata (instruction-only), and scripts/install.sh simply tries Homebrew then npm. SKILL.md recommends tapping aloth/tap and installing @aloth/olcli from npm. This is reasonable but relies on a third‑party Homebrew tap and an npm package — verify the tap/package owners and package contents before installing.

Credentials

The tool legitimately requires an Overleaf session cookie (overleaf_session2). references/API.md also documents an optional OVERLEAF_SESSION environment variable and local/global credential files. The registry metadata lists no required env vars; this mismatch is minor but worth noting. Providing the session cookie grants the tool full session-level access to your Overleaf account, so treat it like a password.

Persistence & Privilege

The skill does not request always:true, does not modify other skills, and stores credentials in standard local config paths (~/.config/olcli-nodejs/config.json or .olauth). No elevated system privileges are requested.

Assessment

This skill appears to do what it says: manage Overleaf projects via a CLI. Before installing or using it, verify the upstream project (check the GitHub repo and npm package @aloth/olcli and the Homebrew tap aloth/tap) to ensure you trust the maintainer. Be cautious when copying your overleaf_session2 cookie from the browser — that cookie is equivalent to logging in and can be used to access your account. Consider creating a dedicated Overleaf account or revoking the session after use, inspect the package code before installing, and prefer installing from a verified source (official GitHub/npm repo) rather than an unknown tap. If you are uncomfortable providing a session cookie, do not install/use the tool.

Overleaf Skill

Manage Overleaf LaTeX projects via the olcli CLI.

Installation

# Homebrew (recommended)
brew tap aloth/tap && brew install olcli

# npm
npm install -g @aloth/olcli

Authentication

Get your session cookie from Overleaf:

1. Log into overleaf.com
2. Open DevTools (F12) → Application → Cookies
3. Copy the value of overleaf_session2

olcli auth --cookie "YOUR_SESSION_COOKIE"

Verify with:

olcli whoami

Common Workflows

Pull a project to work locally

olcli pull "My Paper"
cd My_Paper/

Edit and sync changes

# After editing files locally
olcli push              # Upload changes only
olcli sync              # Bidirectional sync (pull + push)

Compile and download PDF

olcli pdf                      # Compile and download
olcli pdf -o paper.pdf         # Custom output name
olcli compile                  # Just compile (no download)

Download .bbl for arXiv submission

olcli output bbl               # Download compiled .bbl
olcli output bbl -o main.bbl   # Custom filename
olcli output --list            # List all available outputs

Commands Reference

Command	Description
olcli auth --cookie <value>	Authenticate with session cookie
olcli whoami	Check authentication status
olcli list	List all projects
olcli info [project]	Show project details
olcli pull [project] [dir]	Download project files
olcli push [dir]	Upload local changes
olcli sync [dir]	Bidirectional sync
olcli upload <file>	Upload a single file
olcli download <file>	Download a single file
olcli zip [project]	Download as zip archive
olcli compile [project]	Trigger compilation
olcli pdf [project]	Compile and download PDF
olcli output [type]	Download compile outputs

Tips

• Auto-detect project: Run commands from a synced directory (contains .olcli.json) to skip the project argument
• Dry run: Use olcli push --dry-run to preview changes before uploading
• Force overwrite: Use olcli pull --force to overwrite local changes
• Project ID: You can use project ID instead of name (24-char hex from URL)

Troubleshooting

Session expired

Get a fresh cookie from the browser and run olcli auth again.

Compilation fails

Check the Overleaf web editor for detailed error logs.

Links

• GitHub
• npm