PDF viewer options and navigation

Overleaf provides two options for the PDF viewer: the Overleaf PDF viewer and the default browser PDF viewer. The Overleaf PDF viewer provides specific zoom, navigation, and presentation options, remembers your position between compiles, and supports jump-to-location (allowing you to move easily between locations in the source and the PDF). However, sometimes browser or other limitations may require you to use the default browser PD viewer.

The Overleaf PDF and the Browser PDF viewers

Occasionally, TikZ drawings may appear incorrectly, or images may not display as expected in the PDF viewer. Sometimes, these can be resolved by changing the PDF viewer from Overleaf to Browser.

If images are not displaying, first check that you have set your compile mode to Normal, rather than Fast [draft]. See: Recompiling your project.

How to select Overleaf’s PDF viewer

New design

Select the Settings icon in the bottom left, browse to Editor > PDF Viewer, and ensure it is set to Overleaf.

Image showing how to select the Overleaf PDF viewer

Old design

Browser PDF viewer limitations

Note the following behaviors when using the Browser PDF viewer option:

• SyncTeX arrows (jump-to-preview and jump-to-source) do not work.

• Each Recompile will return to the first page of the output PDF.

• Overleaf's PDF navigation controls are not available (only browser provided navigation tools are supported).

PDF navigation

The following annotated screenshot summarizes the navigation tools provided by Overleaf’s PDF viewer.

New design

Annotated screenshot summarizing navigation tools provided by Overleaf’s PDF viewer

Old design

The zoom-level menu

Apart from Presentation mode, the zoom-level menu entries are mostly self-explanatory: you can zoom in or out; fit the PDF page to the viewer window width or height; set a custom zoom value by entering a specific percentage, or select one of the preset zoom levels.

New design

The Zoom menu provided by Overleaf’s PDF viewer

Old design

How to use presentation mode

Overleaf’s presentation mode offers a full-screen view of your PDF document, minimizing distractions by completely hiding Overleaf’s user interface. This mode lets you present your document directly from Overleaf without downloading it.

An example of presentation mode

Document navigation in presentation mode

Use the following keys to navigate a document in presentation mode.

• Arrow keys

• Space or Shift-Space

• Backspace

• PgUp/PgDn

How to leave presentation mode

• Press the Esc key on Mac, Windows, or Linux.

Navigation shortcuts using a keyboard and mouse

Outside of presentation mode, Overleaf’s PDF viewer supports various keyboard shortcuts and mouse actions for navigating and interacting with your compiled LaTeX document (PDF). To use keyboard shortcuts, ensure the Overleaf PDF viewer window is in focus. Mouse actions, such as using the scroll wheel, work without requiring the viewer window to have the focus.

Keyboard shortcuts

To use a keyboard shortcut, press and hold ⌘ (Mac) or Ctrl (Windows/Linux), then press the accompanying shortcut key; for example, to zoom in on a Mac, press and hold ⌘, then press the + key.

	Mac	Windows/Linux
Zoom in	⌘ +	Ctrl +
Zoom out	⌘ -	Ctrl -
Fit to width	⌘ 0	Ctrl 0
Fit to height	⌘ 9	Ctrl 9

• Fit to width and fit to height: Automatically adjust the PDF to fit the width or height of the PDF viewer window.

Other ways to navigate your PDF

To zoom in or out:

• Use pinch gestures on a trackpad.

• On a Mac, press ⌘ and use the mouse scroll wheel.

• On Windows/Linux, press Ctrl and use the mouse scroll wheel.

Scrolling the PDF:

• Use the mouse scroll wheel or a device’s trackpad.

• Up/down arrow keys scroll a whole page.

• PgUp or PgDn also scroll a whole page.

• Home key jumps to the start of a document.

• End key takes you to the end of a document.

Troubleshooting

I can't find the PDF Viewer.

If you cannot see a split screen containing the Overleaf editor and PDF preview, or the PDF preview or Overleaf editor is hidden from view, you can use the Layout menu to quickly rearrange and refresh your Overleaf workspace.

Old design:

To restore a split screen view, select Editor & PDF from the Layout menu as shown below. A checkmark is placed next to the currently active option:

The Overleaf layout menu

New design:

To restore a split screen view, select Split view from the Layout menu as shown below. A checkmark is placed next to the currently active option:

The Overleaf layout menu

There is a "PDF Rendering" error instead of the PDF.

This problem can sometimes be caused by browser issues or network restrictions. Please see Resolving PDF rendering and project loading problems.

There is a LaTeX error reported instead of the PDF.

LaTeX errors can cause the PDF not to render properly, or at all. Please see Fixing LaTeX errors for suggestions on understanding and fixing LaTeX errors.

I am seeing a Compile Timeout error instead of the PDF.

There are a number of potential causes when the compile process runs longer than the available time to produce the PDF. Please see Fixing and preventing compile timeouts.