← ALL PROJECTSCASE STUDY · CH 01 / 07
ON AIR2026formatex.io
FORMATEX
LaTeX-to-PDF as a service
formatex.ioPGM
EDITORNEXT · AI ASSISTANT1 / 7
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// THE PROBLEM & THE PRODUCT
Overleaf has 12 million users and no public API — FormaTeX is the answer. A modern browser editor with real-time collaboration, a production REST API across four LaTeX engines, and Smart Compile that silently fixes AI-generated LaTeX errors before they ever reach the user. Ships with SDKs for five platforms, an MCP server so any AI agent can compile documents directly, and a free tier. No TeX Live, no setup.
// WHAT I BUILT- Browser editor with split-pane PDF preview — CodeMirror 6, multi-file projects, no install
- Smart Compile — auto-detects engine from preamble, auto-fixes LLM-generated LaTeX before failing
- AI assistant — Fix, Explain, Generate, and Chat with full project file context
- Real-time collaboration — presence indicators, editor/viewer roles, WebSocket-powered
- Production REST API — four engines, sync/stream/async compilation modes, full OpenAPI docs
- LaTeX templates with variable substitution — send JSON, receive a typeset PDF
- Webhooks with HMAC signing — event delivery with automatic retry backoff
- MCP server — compile LaTeX directly from Claude Code, Cursor, or Windsurf
- SDKs for Python, TypeScript, GitHub Actions, Zapier, and n8n
- DOCX export — convert LaTeX to Word format via Pandoc