Got sick of Overleaf's laggy web interface last month, so I started using the "Overleaf Workshop" extension in VS Code. Now I can draft papers with AI assistance right in my editor while keeping all the LaTeX functionality.
Here's exactly how to set it up:
(2/n)
1. Install "Overleaf Workshop" extension
2. Open overleaf.com in incognito mode
3. Go to your projects page
4. Open dev tools, find the /projects request
5. Copy the session token from the request headers
6. Paste token when prompted by the extension
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7. Open any Overleaf project directly from your sidebar
8. Use "Build & View" to see your PDF instantly
9. Double-click anywhere in the PDF to jump to that exact spot in your code
10. Change 'draft mode' and 'normal mode' by clicking compile settings on status bar
(4/n)
Mar 24, 2025 · 7:09 AM UTC
11. View collaborators on the status bar and check their editing locations
I can stay in flow state while writing. No more context switching between thinking about my research and fighting with LaTeX syntax.
Just draft ideas conversationally with your preferred AI assistant and watch it handle the formatting details.
Anyone else experimenting with this workflow? What's your academic writing setup looking like these days?
#AcademicWriting #ResearchHack #Overleaf #LaTeX