Writing your LaTeX thesis on Overleaf: complete guide to the platform

Overleaf has become the go-to platform for writing theses in LaTeX worldwide. Unlike a local LaTeX installation (TeX Live, MiKTeX), Overleaf runs entirely in your browser: no installation, no configuration, and easy collaboration with your research supervisor. This guide shows you how to get the most out of the platform for your thesis.

If you are completely new to LaTeX and want to learn the basics of the syntax and structure before going on Overleaf, read our beginners’ guide: LaTeX for beginners: installation, syntax and first steps.

What is Overleaf and why use it for a thesis?

Overleaf (overleaf.com) is an online LaTeX editor, free for basic individual use. It lets you:

  • Write and compile your LaTeX directly in the browser, without installing anything
  • See the PDF preview in real time (or near real time) next to your code
  • Collaborate with your research supervisor, who can read and comment on your document without knowing LaTeX
  • Access your project from any connected device
  • Use a library of thousands of templates, including dozens of thesis templates for specific universities

Free plan: unlimited compilation, one collaborator per project, limited history. Premium plan: several collaborators, unlimited history, Git synchronization, offline mode, team features. Some universities have institutional licences that give free access to premium.

Finding the right thesis template on Overleaf

From the Overleaf library

On overleaf.com, click Templates in the main menu, then filter by Thesis. You will find hundreds of templates, including:

  • Classic Thesis (André Miede): very popular in French-speaking and German-speaking Europe, elegant layout
  • Official university templates: Harvard, MIT, Oxford, Cambridge, and a growing list of international universities
  • Generic thesis templates in the Humanities or STEM

For Quebec universities: the official templates are not all on Overleaf. Check:

  • Your university library’s website (“Theses and dissertations” section)
  • The website of the IT service or the graduate studies faculty
  • The GitHub repositories of doctoral students in your program (search for [university-name] thesis latex template on GitHub)

Importing an external template into Overleaf

If you have found a template as a .zip file (from GitHub or your university’s website), import it directly into Overleaf:

  1. On your Overleaf dashboard, click New Project
  2. Select Upload Project
  3. Drag and drop your .zip file

Overleaf unzips and configures the project automatically.

Organizing your Overleaf project

A well-organized thesis project on Overleaf makes navigation and maintenance easier. Here is the recommended structure:

these/
├── main.tex                # Main file: contains only the structure
├── references.bib          # All your bibliographic references
├── pages/
│   ├── page-titre.tex
│   ├── resume.tex
│   └── remerciements.tex
├── chapitres/
│   ├── introduction.tex
│   ├── revue-litterature.tex
│   ├── cadre-theorique.tex
│   ├── methodologie.tex
│   ├── resultats.tex
│   ├── discussion.tex
│   └── conclusion.tex
├── figures/
│   └── (your image files in .pdf, .png or .jpg)
└── annexes/
    └── annexe-a.tex

Tip: each chapter in its own .tex file, included in main.tex with \input{chapitres/introduction}. This lets you compile a single chapter at a time by commenting out the others, which is essential for large theses.

Collaborating with your research supervisor

This is one of the most practical advantages of Overleaf. Your supervisor does not need to know LaTeX to read and comment on your work.

Sharing in read-only mode

From your project, click Share and share the link in read-only mode. Your supervisor can read the compiled PDF directly in Overleaf without being able to modify the code.

Sharing in edit mode

If your supervisor is comfortable with LaTeX, share the project in edit mode. They can modify the code directly, and you will see their changes in real time.

Using comments

On the Premium version (or with a university licence), you can use the comments in the PDF feature: your supervisor will annotate the PDF directly, and you will see their comments in the interface.

Practical alternative: export the compiled PDF and share it by email or through Google Drive. Your supervisor comments on the PDF with Acrobat or Preview, and you transfer their corrections into Overleaf.

Managing your bibliography with Zotero and Overleaf

The best way to manage a thesis bibliography in Overleaf is to connect Zotero to your project:

  1. In Zotero, organize your references in a collection dedicated to your thesis
  2. Export the collection in BibTeX format (right-click → Export Collection → BibTeX)
  3. Import the .bib file into your Overleaf project (or update it regularly)
  4. In your main.tex, add \addbibresource{references.bib}

Zotero can also be set up to automatically sync your library with Overleaf through Better BibTeX: every new reference in Zotero automatically becomes available in Overleaf.

Compiling and handling errors in Overleaf

Overleaf compiles your document automatically every time you save (or when you click the compile button). A few important points:

  • Read the compilation log. The first error in the log is the most important. Overleaf displays them in the bottom-right panel.
  • Compile often. Do not write 50 pages before compiling: you will have trouble identifying the error.
  • Cascading errors. A single missing brace can generate dozens of cascading errors. Fix the first one and recompile.
  • Unresolved references. If you see ?? instead of a figure or chapter number, click Recompile: LaTeX sometimes needs two passes to resolve cross-references.

Common errors on Overleaf

  • Compilation timeout on very long documents: enable the “Faster compilation” option in the project settings, or compile chapter by chapter by commenting out the others.
  • Images not found: check that your image files are in the right folder and that the extension is correct (.pdf, .png, .jpg).
  • Character encoding: if your accents do not display correctly, check that your file is in UTF-8 and that the preamble contains \usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}.

Advanced features useful for a thesis

Git synchronization

With the Premium plan, you can sync your Overleaf project with a GitHub or GitLab repository. It is an extra safety net and a good way to keep a complete history of your revisions.

Offline mode with Git

Even if you prefer to write locally (with VS Code + the LaTeX Workshop extension, for example), you can push your changes to GitHub and sync them with Overleaf. Your supervisor still has access to the up-to-date PDF on Overleaf.

Version history

Overleaf keeps a history of your compilations. On the free plan, the history is limited to 24 hours. On the Premium plan (or with an institutional licence), the history is unlimited: you can go back to any previous version. A valuable feature during major revisions.

Ensuring compliance with university standards

Having a good LaTeX template on Overleaf does not automatically guarantee compliance with your university’s specific requirements. Each institution has its own guidelines on margins, fonts, pagination, heading styles and the format of the title page.

Uniformat provides LaTeX templates designed for Quebec university standards and automatically checks your document’s compliance before the official submission. You can use the Uniformat template directly on Overleaf: it is ready to use.

Download the Uniformat LaTeX template →

Conclusion

Overleaf considerably simplifies thesis writing in LaTeX: no installation, easy collaboration, template library, version history. It is the ideal environment for focusing on your research rather than on the technical setup. Organize your project well from the start, connect Zotero for your bibliography, and share with your supervisor for a smooth workflow.

To check the compliance of your LaTeX thesis with your university’s standards, visit uniformat.ca.