Generated files

Most of the time, generated files are only used by the LaTeX compiler and other tools, but in some cases they need to be accessed directly.

To view the list of files which are generated upon compilation of the project, such as .aux, .log and .toc files, you can click into Logs and output files:

and scroll down to Other logs and files.

This will provide you with the option of downloading selected files or all the files generated by the compiler.

Downloading generated files along with the source

When you download the source files for your project using the standard options, the generated files are not included.

Some journals and repositories ask for the generated files to be included along with the source. Overleaf's Submit to arXiv option will produce a zip that includes both the source and the generated files. This option does not directly submit to arXiv, but rather produces a zip file in the format expected by arXiv, which can also be used for other journals and services that expect the same format.

How to submit to a journal or service

1. Go to File > Submit, then choose a journal or service. There will be an option to download a .zip with the .bbl included.

2. Once you select the Download project ZIP with submission files button, it should show a "Compiling project, please wait" message. It may take a while to build, then download, the zip file.

3. Select the Submit to [journal or service] button to be directed to the corresponding external website to upload your project ZIP.

Including .bbl contents directly in the .tex file

Some publishers use article-submission systems that cannot process a separate .bib file. In such cases, the publisher’s guidelines might ask authors to paste the contents of the .bbl file (generated by BibTeX) into the article’s main .tex file. If BibTeX is used, the .bbl file produced by the Overleaf compile process can be downloaded (as described above), and its contents can be added to the .tex file to accommodate these submission systems.

How to download a .bbl file

1. Select the Logs and output files button to the right of the Recompile button.

2. Scroll down and select the Other logs and files button in the bottom right.

3. In the menu that appears, select the output.bbl file to download it.

How to paste a .bib file's contents into the project’s main .tex file

1. After you've downloaded the .bbl file, copy the contents of the file.

2. Comment out the \bibliography{} line of your .tex file.

3. Paste the contents of the downloaded .bbl file.

4. Recompile.