SyncTeX: forward and inverse search #

EnableTeXEnhancements = true
ReuseInstance = true
ReloadModifiedDocuments = true

• EnableTeXEnhancements: shows TeX-related UI (including inverse-search options) and enables inverse search on click when configured.
• ReuseInstance: one Sumatra process reuses the open window when the editor launches the viewer again (avoids many windows).
• ReloadModifiedDocuments: reloads the PDF after LaTeX rebuilds it.

Inverse search command line (InverseSearchCmdLine) #

1. Ctrl + K, Set Inverse Search Command Line command in Command Palette (detects common editors and enables TeX enhancements on OK)
2. Settings → Options (when TeX enhancements are on) → inverse-search field
3. Advanced setting InverseSearchCmdLine in SumatraPDF-settings.txt
4. One-shot via command line: -inverse-search "<command-line>" (writes the same setting)

"C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe" -n%l "%f"

Setup by editor / environment #

TeXstudio #

"C:\Program Files\TeXstudio\texstudio.exe" "%f" -line %l

• Options → Configure TeXstudio → Commands (or Build)
• Set External PDF viewer / PDF viewer command to something like:

"C:/Program Files/SumatraPDF/SumatraPDF.exe" -reuse-instance -forward-search "?c:am.tex" @ "?am.pdf"

• Build with SyncTeX (default in TeXstudio PDF workflows).
• Forward: TeXstudio’s “Go to PDF” / jump to PDF action.
• Inverse: double-click in Sumatra.

Visual Studio Code / Cursor (LaTeX Workshop) #

"C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Local\Programs\Microsoft VS Code\bin\code.cmd" -r -g "%f:%l"

"C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Local\Programs\Microsoft VS Code\Code.exe" "C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Local\Programs\Microsoft VS Code\resources\app\out\cli.js" --ms-enable-electron-run-as-node -r -g "%f:%l"

{
  "latex-workshop.view.pdf.viewer": "external",
  "latex-workshop.view.pdf.external.viewer.command": "C:/Program Files/SumatraPDF/SumatraPDF.exe",
  "latex-workshop.view.pdf.external.viewer.args": ["-reuse-instance", "%PDF%"],
  "latex-workshop.view.pdf.external.synctex.command": "C:/Program Files/SumatraPDF/SumatraPDF.exe",
  "latex-workshop.view.pdf.external.synctex.args": ["-reuse-instance", "-forward-search", "%TEX%", "%LINE%", "%PDF%"]
}

• Build so SyncTeX is produced (LaTeX Workshop recipes usually pass -synctex=1).
• View PDF: LaTeX Workshop View LaTeX PDF file in external viewer.
• Forward: SyncTeX from cursor (Ctrl + Alt + J).
• Inverse: double-click in Sumatra, and VS Code focuses %f at line %l.

TeXworks #

"C:\Program Files\MiKTeX\miktex\bin\x64\texworks.exe" -p=%l "%f"

• Edit → Preferences → Typesetting (or Preview)
• PDF viewer: SumatraPDF, or a custom command:

"C:\Program Files\SumatraPDF\SumatraPDF.exe" -reuse-instance "$fullname.pdf"

"C:\Program Files\SumatraPDF\SumatraPDF.exe" -reuse-instance -forward-search "$fullname.tex" $line "$fullname.pdf"

WinEdt #

• Options → Execution Modes → PDF Viewer
• Uncheck Auto-detect if needed, choose SumatraPDF, or browse to SumatraPDF.exe.

"C:\Program Files\WinEdt Team\WinEdt\WinEdt.exe" "[Open(|%f|);SelPar(%l,8)]"

• Compile with SyncTeX enabled in the execution mode.
• Forward: WinEdt’s PDF preview / search commands.
• Inverse: double-click in Sumatra.

TeXnicCenter #

"C:\Program Files\TeXnicCenter\TeXnicCenter.exe" /nosplash /ddecmd "[goto('%f', '%l')]"

• Build → Define Output Profiles (Alt + F7) → PDF profile → Viewer
• Executable path: C:\Program Files\SumatraPDF\SumatraPDF.exe (path only)
• View project’s output: command-line argument "%bm.pdf"
• Forward search:

-reuse-instance -forward-search "%Wc" %l "%bm.pdf"

• ReuseInstance = true, ReloadModifiedDocuments = true, EnableTeXEnhancements = true
• Build and view once, then inverse-search with double-click.

Texmaker #

"C:\Program Files\Texmaker\texmaker.exe" "%f" -line %l

• Options → Configure Texmaker → Commands
• External viewer:

"C:/Program Files/SumatraPDF/SumatraPDF.exe" -reuse-instance %.pdf

"C:/Program Files/SumatraPDF/SumatraPDF.exe" -reuse-instance -forward-search %.tex @ %.pdf

Notepad++ #

"C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe" -n%l "%f"

"C:\Program Files\SumatraPDF\SumatraPDF.exe" -reuse-instance -forward-search "$(FULL_CURRENT_PATH)" $(CURRENT_LINE) "$(CURRENT_DIRECTORY)\$(NAME_PART).pdf"

Sublime Text (LaTeXTools or similar) #

"C:\Program Files\Sublime Text\sublime_text.exe" "%f:%l:%c"

Vim / gVim #

"C:\Program Files\Vim\vim91\gvim.exe" --remote-silent +%l "%f"

def ForwardSearch()
  var root = expand('%:p:r')
  system($'SumatraPDF.exe -reuse-instance -forward-search {root}.tex {line(".")} {root}.pdf')
enddef
nnoremap <buffer> <F5> <ScriptCmd>ForwardSearch()<CR>

gvim --servername GVIM --remote-send ":call BackwardSearch(%l, '%f')<CR>"

Emacs (AUCTeX) #

• Inverse search (Sumatra):
  "C:\...\emacsclientw.exe" -n +%l "%f"
  Start an Emacs server first.
• Forward search: AUCTeX viewer entry calling
  SumatraPDF.exe -reuse-instance -forward-search %b.tex %n %o
  The exact expandos depend on your AUCTeX viewer config.

LyX #

SumatraPDF.exe -reuse-instance "$o"

Typst #

ReuseInstance = true
ReloadModifiedDocuments = true

typst watch main.typ

{
  "tinymist.exportPdf": "onSave"
}

• Edit the .typ file. The compiler or Tinymist writes the PDF, and Sumatra reloads it.
• Jumps between source and preview: use the Tinymist preview, not Sumatra.

Tips and troubleshooting #

1. Always compile with SyncTeX (-synctex=1). Without .synctex/.synctex.gz, jumps cannot map lines. Typst does not emit SyncTeX. See Typst.
2. Set inverse search once in Sumatra rather than putting a long -inverse-search "..." into every editor viewer command.
3. Paths with spaces must be quoted. The placeholders %f / %l go outside or inside the quotes as in the examples.
4. PDF does not reload after build: set ReloadModifiedDocuments = true, and avoid locking the PDF. Sumatra itself does not lock it, unlike some other readers.
5. Many Sumatra windows: set ReuseInstance = true and pass -reuse-instance from the editor when opening or forward-searching.
6. Wrong or missing inverse editor: use Set Inverse Search Command Line and pick a detected editor, or paste a command that works from a cmd prompt with a sample file and line.
7. Accented / non-ASCII paths: use an editor launch line that handles Unicode, and prefer UTF-8 locale and editor settings (see also historical notes on inverse search and encoding).
8. WSL sources: use LaTeX integration with WSL.
9. DDE: still works for some editors (e.g. TeXnicCenter goto). For new setups prefer -forward-search and a normal process command for inverse search. See DDE Commands.

Related #

• Command-line arguments (-forward-search, -inverse-search, forward-search highlight flags)
• DDE Commands
• LaTeX integration with WSL
• Typst, Tinymist
• Advanced settings: InverseSearchCmdLine, EnableTeXEnhancements, ForwardSearch highlight options