How to Import an Overleaf or LaTeX ZIP Project

Summary: Export the complete source as a ZIP, inspect its files, import it through the project's ZIP workflow, choose the correct root TeX document, and compare a fresh PDF. Source moves; service-specific history and settings do not.

Understand what a source ZIP contains

A portable LaTeX project normally contains .tex source, bibliography data, permitted class or style files, and images. It may also contain generated auxiliary files that another editor does not need. A source ZIP is not an account migration and does not carry collaborators, comments, chat, version history, or provider settings.

Overleaf's current documentation explains how to use File → Download as source (.zip) for a project. See the official Downloading a project guide for the current interface. Turquoise Jackal is independent and is not connected with or endorsed by Overleaf.

1. Export a known-good version

Compile in the original environment first and download its PDF separately. The reference PDF gives you something concrete to compare after import.

• Save all current source changes.
• Confirm which .tex file is the main or root document.
• Download the source ZIP.
• Download the latest successful PDF as a visual reference.
• Record any non-default engine, bibliography, font, or build setting.

2. Inspect the archive before uploading

Open the ZIP locally without running anything. Check that expected chapters, images, bibliography files, and permitted styles are present. A clear project might look like this:

paper-project/
├── main.tex
├── references.bib
├── sections/
│   ├── introduction.tex
│   └── methods.tex
└── figures/
    └── experiment.png

Remove private notes or data that do not belong in the destination. Do not add executable scripts merely to reproduce an unsafe build. Turquoise Jackal validates archive paths, sizes, file counts, collisions, and symlinks, and it compiles without shell escape.

3. Import the ZIP

After signing in, open the project dashboard and choose the existing project import action. Select the ZIP and give the project a useful name. The importer creates private project records and project-relative files only after validation.

If validation rejects the archive, correct the archive rather than bypassing the check. Common causes include an oversized file, too many files, unsafe path traversal, a symlink, or a collision between paths.

4. Select the correct root TeX file

A project can contain several TeX files. The root normally has the document class and document environment, then includes chapter or section files.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{graphicx}

\begin{document}
\input{sections/introduction}
\input{sections/methods}
\bibliographystyle{plain}
\bibliography{references}
\end{document}

Select this file as the explicit project root before compiling the complete document. Compiling an included section alone can produce missing preamble, package, command, or document-environment errors.

5. Expect environment differences

Standard source is portable, but output can still differ between services or local installations. Check:

Difference	Possible symptom	Next step
TeX engine	Font or command failures	Confirm the project supports the hosted pdfLaTeX workflow
Package version	Changed defaults or unavailable commands	Read the package log and current manual
System fonts	Missing font or changed appearance	Use supported fonts or compile in the required local engine
Shell escape	External helper cannot run	Use a safely isolated local build; do not weaken hosted compilation
Generated bibliography files	Missing references	Include source bibliography data and use the supported BibTeX workflow
Filename case	File not found	Match path capitalization exactly

6. Compare the rebuilt PDF

Do more than check that compilation returned success. Compare the new PDF with the reference:

• Page count, page size, margins, and title page
• Section numbering, contents, labels, and cross-references
• Bibliography entries and citation order
• Figure placement, image quality, and captions
• Equations, tables, line breaks, and overfull warnings
• Fonts, symbols, hyperlinks, and metadata required for submission

Common migration mistakes

• Uploading only main.tex while leaving images, chapters, styles, or bibliography files behind.
• Choosing a chapter as the compile root.
• Expecting comments, history, collaborators, or service settings inside a source ZIP.
• Assuming all providers use the same engine, packages, fonts, and build options.
• Ignoring warnings because the page count happens to match.

Continue with a maintainable project

Once the imported output is verified, organise new work using clear relative paths and a short root document. For a long academic project, the guide to structuring a thesis in LaTeX shows a practical multi-file layout. If the first imported build fails, follow the compilation error checklist from the earliest useful message.