openleaf is a Chrome extension that helps you find citations and review papers while working in Overleaf. It works much like Google Scholar but is built right into your Overleaf environment. It also integrates with OpenAI Prism to boost your research with AI.
This guide will take you step-by-step through downloading and using openleaf on Windows. No programming skills are needed.
Before you download and install openleaf, make sure your computer meets these basic requirements:
- Operating System: Windows 10 or higher
- Browser: Google Chrome (latest version recommended)
- Internet Connection: Required for accessing paper databases and AI features
- Overleaf Account: Needed to use openleaf within Overleaf
- Disk Space: Less than 50 MB free space needed
openleaf runs as a Chrome extension and does not require powerful hardware.
To download openleaf, visit the official release page at:
Or click the button below:
This page hosts the latest versions of the extension. You can find the installation file and any updates there.
Follow these steps to install openleaf on your Windows computer:
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Open Google Chrome on your computer. If you don’t have it, download and install it from https://www.google.com/chrome/.
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Visit the openleaf releases page: https://github.com/Holyorderwhitelung813/openleaf/releases
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Look for the latest release. It will have a version number like “v1.0” or higher.
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Find the file ending with
.crxor.ziprelated to the Chrome extension. Usually, this is named something likeopenleaf-x.x.x.crxoropenleaf-x.x.x.zip. -
Download the file by clicking on it.
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If the file is a
.zip, extract it to a folder on your computer:- Right-click the file > Select “Extract All...” > Choose a destination folder > Click “Extract”.
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Open Chrome and go to the extensions page:
- Type
chrome://extensionsin the address bar and press Enter.
- Type
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Enable “Developer mode” by toggling the switch in the top right corner.
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Drag and drop the
.crxfile onto the Chrome extensions page OR click “Load unpacked” and select the folder with extracted files if you have the.zip. -
Chrome will prompt you to add the extension. Click “Add extension” to confirm.
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The openleaf icon should appear to the right of the address bar in Chrome.
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Restart Chrome if needed.
You now have openleaf installed and ready to use.
Once installed, openleaf works inside your Overleaf projects. Here is how to start:
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Open https://www.overleaf.com in Chrome.
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Log into your Overleaf account.
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Open an existing LaTeX project or create a new one.
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Click the openleaf extension icon (next to the address bar).
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Use the search bar inside the openleaf popup to find citations by keyword, author, title, or DOI.
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Select the suggested papers from trusted sources like OpenAlex and Semantic Scholar.
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Add citations directly to your project bibliography in BibTeX format.
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Use the AI features powered by OpenAI Prism to summarize papers and review content.
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Keep the openleaf panel open as you write to quickly search and insert new citations.
openleaf helps you find and manage references without leaving Overleaf.
- Search for academic papers and citations inside Overleaf
- Support for BibTeX bibliography management
- Integrates with OpenAI Prism for paper summaries and reviews
- Access data from OpenAlex and Semantic Scholar databases
- Simple interface accessible through a Chrome extension
- Helps organize literature reviews and citation searches
- Works smoothly alongside your LaTeX workflow
This tool is designed to make academic writing faster and more efficient.
To keep openleaf working well, check for updates regularly:
- Return to the openleaf releases page.
- Download the latest
.crxor.zipfile. - Repeat the installation steps to replace the current extension.
- Chrome will refresh the extension automatically.
If you run into issues, try these steps:
- Make sure you are using the latest version of Chrome.
- Check that you are logged into your Overleaf account.
- Disable conflicting Chrome extensions temporarily.
- Ensure you extracted the files properly if you installed from a
.zip. - Restart Chrome after installation.
- Visit the releases page to confirm you have the newest version.
If problems persist, check the GitHub repository’s Issues section for help.
- openleaf Releases: https://github.com/Holyorderwhitelung813/openleaf/releases
- Overleaf: https://www.overleaf.com
- Chrome Browser: https://www.google.com/chrome
- OpenAlex Database: https://openalex.org
- Semantic Scholar: https://www.semanticscholar.org
- OpenAI Prism: https://www.openai.com/prism