Getting started

In about two minutes you can have a project open, compiled, and exported as a PDF. Everything runs locally. You do not need an account. Writing and compiling after the first package fetch work offline.

1. Install

Download the app for your platform from the latest release or the site Download button, then open it. macOS builds are signed and notarized. Windows may still show SmartScreen once. Details: install guide.

2. Create your first project

On a fresh install, Show me around on the welcome screen walks the library, creates a real project with you, and continues in the workspace. Settings, AI Assistant, and Diagram Composer each have a guide on first visit. Manage tours under Settings → General → Enable tour guides, or restart from Help & About → Start tour.

1. On the Library home screen, click New project.
2. Browse the template gallery by category, search, or ATS-friendly. Good starters:
   • Blank document: minimal article.
   • IEEE Research Paper (or ACM / similar): conference-style paper with figures and bibliography.
   • ATS Resume or Software Engineer Resume: single-column resumes for parser-friendly output.
3. Pick a template, name the project, choose a cover color, and Create project.

You can also open Oleafly Tools from the home dock for PDF-to-LaTeX import, deadlines, and other helpers. The full template catalog is on Templates. Free web lessons: Learn.

3. Write and compile

Type in the editor on the left. Press ⌘↵ (Ctrl+Enter on Windows/Linux) to compile. The PDF appears on the right with zoom, page navigation, and single or two-page layouts.

Prefer compile-as-you-type? Open the command palette (⌘K / Ctrl+K) and run Enable auto-compile. Compiles start about 2.5 seconds after you stop typing.

While you write: type \ for LaTeX command completion, / for the slash insert menu (/figure, /table, /section, /cite, /math, and more), and Ctrl+Space for suggestions. See Autocomplete & slash commands.

4. Jump between source and PDF (SyncTeX)

• Source to PDF: cursor in the source, ⌘⇧J (Ctrl+Shift+J). The PDF scrolls and flashes a highlight.
• PDF to source: hold ⌘ (Ctrl) and click a word in the PDF. The editor jumps there, including across \input files.

More: SyncTeX.

5. Export

Use Export (download icon) in the toolbar, then Export as PDF. Default PDF uses real selectable text with embedded fonts. The same menu exports a source .zip, and Word, HTML, Markdown, and plain text via Pandoc (downloaded on first use). See Export formats.

6. Where your files live

Every project is a plain folder under ~/.oleafly/projects/ with your .tex, .bib, images, and a real .git repository. Browse, copy, or back them up with any tool. See Where your data lives.

Keep going

• Cite something: paste a DOI or paper title for BibTeX plus \cite. Citations
• Draw a figure: diagram composer or AI figures. Figures & diagrams
• Connect AI: your key, a custom endpoint, or local Ollama. Set up AI
• Check before you submit: ATS and accessibility Preflight. Preflight
• Local history: commit in Source Control without GitHub; publish when you want a remote. Git history, GitHub sync