Joining an Overleaf Group Subscription

This page answers common questions about joining an Overleaf group subscription. If you are joining an Overleaf Professional group, your subscription administrator may request that your Overleaf account be managed by them. To learn more about Overleaf managed user accounts, see our information for managed users.

What is a Group Subscription?

Overleaf Group Subscriptions provide a way for a lab, department, faculty, or any group of users to purchase a subscription that covers all team members.

Overleaf Group Subscriptions are administered by someone on your team. In most cases, the Overleaf user that purchases the group subscription becomes the administrator of the subscription. The administrator can add or remove members from the subscription. The administrator can also name other users as managers of the subscription, and these managers can also add or remove members. Administrators and managers are not necessarily members of the subscription, so do not take up a license seat unless they are also added to the members list. You can learn more about group subscription management here: Managing a Group Subscription.

How do I join a group subscription?

An administrator or manager of the group must add you to the member list for that subscription. Once added, you should receive an email from Overleaf letting you know that you have been invited to join the group. Click on the button or follow the link in the email to have your Overleaf account added to the subscription.

Once you have successfully joined the subscription, your account will automatically be upgraded with the premium features associated with that subscription.

Do I need to create a new Overleaf account to join a group subscription?

You can join the group subscription with your existing Overleaf account. You do not need to create a new Overleaf account. In Overleaf, your account is where your projects are saved, and this account can join or leave subscriptions at any time.

Please also see these frequently asked questions: Accounts and Subscriptions FAQ

What happens when I leave the subscription?

Your Overleaf account is yours, and remains accessible to you whether you have a subscription or not. If your personal, group, or institutional subscription ends, your account will be placed on the "free plan." On the free plan you will continue to be able to access your account, all your projects, and all your current collaborations. You will not be removed from any projects that were shared with you, and your collaborators will not be removed from your shared projects.

Please also see these frequently asked questions: Accounts and Subscriptions FAQ

Can I cancel my personal subscription when I join a group?

Yes. You can cancel your personal subscription from the Account>Subscription page. A personal subscription will not automatically be cancelled when you join a group, so please check on your subscription status and cancel your personal subscription if it makes sense for you to do so. Please reach out to Overleaf Support if you have any questions or need help with stopping or cancelling your current subscription.

Can I share with people outside my group?

Yes. A group subscription does not impose any restrictions on sharing. You can share with Overleaf users outside your group using link sharing or direct sharing with collaborators. See Sharing a project for more information.

How do I share documents with my group?

You can share work within (or outside) your group using project sharing options. It is also possible to transfer ownership of projects among collaborators.

What does it mean if my account is managed by my group administrator?

If you are joining an Overleaf Professional group, your subscription administrator may request that your Overleaf account be managed by them.  To learn more about Overleaf managed user accounts, see our information for managed users.

Learn more

• Overleaf Accounts and Subscriptions
• Joining a Commons Subscription
• Managing a Group Subscription
• Overleaf plans and pricing
• Overleaf group subscriptions
• Information for Managed Users