Iclr

[SKILL: ICLR PAPER FORMAT]

Activate when: user mentions ICLR, International Conference on Learning Representations, or asks to use the ICLR template.

Execution Protocol

After this skill is activated, select the matching scenario based on user intent.

Shared Common Workflow

Before venue-specific template steps, also load and follow ml-paper-writing skill.

At minimum, apply these shared references:

• writing-guide.md (narrative and clarity)
• citation-workflow.md (verified citations; no hallucinations)
• reviewer-guidelines.md (reviewer-facing quality checks)
• checklists.md (pre-submission gates)

Built-in template: templates/iclr2026/ (referred to as TEMPLATES_DIR below), targeting ICLR 2026. Contents: iclr2026_conference.sty, iclr2026_conference.bst, iclr2026_conference.tex, iclr2026_conference.bib, math_commands.tex, fancyhdr.sty, natbib.sty.

Pre-step: Year Confirmation & Template Acquisition

This step MUST be completed before any scenario below.

1. Confirm the target year with the user (default: latest available year).
2. Check whether TEMPLATES_DIR exists and includes required files: iclr2026_conference.sty, iclr2026_conference.bst, iclr2026_conference.tex, math_commands.tex, fancyhdr.sty, natbib.sty.
3. Use local built-in template only when BOTH conditions hold:
   • target year = 2026
   • files in TEMPLATES_DIR are complete
4. If either condition fails (target year is not 2026 OR local template files are missing/incomplete):
   • Inform the user local built-in template is unavailable or year-mismatched.
   • Guide the user to download the correct Author Kit from:
     • Official website: https://iclr.cc → target year → "Author Guidelines" or "Submission Instructions"
     • OpenReview: template link on the target-year submission page
     • Overleaf fallback: search "ICLR [year] Conference Paper Template" on https://www.overleaf.com/latex/templates
   • Unzip downloaded files directly into .
   • All subsequent steps must use the downloaded year-specific filenames (e.g., iclr2025_conference.sty).
5. Filename substitution rule for all steps below:
   • Treat iclr2026_conference in commands/examples as a placeholder for the resolved style basename from the selected .sty file.
   • Example: if the downloaded file is iclr2025_conference.sty, replace iclr2026_conference with iclr2025_conference everywhere (\\usepackage, \\bibliographystyle, copy commands, checklist checks).

Scenario Routing

• User says "create / new ICLR paper" → Scenario 1
• User says "switch to ICLR format" / "apply ICLR template" → Scenario 2
• User says "ICLR format issue" / "compile error" → Scenario 3
• User says "check format" / "prepare for submission" → Scenario 4

Scenario 1: Create a New ICLR Project

Step 1 — Copy template files to the project core directory using bash:

bash(command="cp TEMPLATES_DIR/iclr2026_conference.sty TEMPLATES_DIR/iclr2026_conference.bst TEMPLATES_DIR/math_commands.tex TEMPLATES_DIR/fancyhdr.sty TEMPLATES_DIR/natbib.sty <PROJECT_CORE>/")

Step 2 — Read TEMPLATES_DIR/iclr2026_conference.tex with read_file to understand the preamble structure, author block pattern, and required macros.

Step 3 — Create main.tex in the project core directory using write_file:

• Preamble: \documentclass{article} + \usepackage{iclr2026_conference,times}
• Load hyperref and url AFTER the style package
• Do NOT add \iclrfinalcopy (submission must be anonymous)
• Set \author{Anonymous Author(s)} for submission
• Replace body content with the user's paper content or generate a skeleton (title / abstract / sections)
• Set \bibliographystyle{iclr2026_conference} and \bibliography{references}

Step 4 — Run latex_compile to verify successful compilation. If it fails, read the log and fix errors.

Scenario 2: Switch an Existing Project to ICLR Template

Step 1 — Read the current main.tex with read_file to analyze the existing preamble and content structure.

Step 2 — Read TEMPLATES_DIR/iclr2026_conference.tex with read_file to understand the required ICLR preamble.

Step 3 — Copy style files to the project core directory using bash (style files only — do NOT overwrite user content):

bash(command="cp TEMPLATES_DIR/iclr2026_conference.sty TEMPLATES_DIR/iclr2026_conference.bst TEMPLATES_DIR/fancyhdr.sty TEMPLATES_DIR/natbib.sty <PROJECT_CORE>/")

Step 4 — Modify the main.tex preamble using str_replace:

• Change \documentclass to \documentclass{article}
• Add \usepackage{iclr2026_conference,times}
• Ensure hyperref is loaded AFTER iclr2026_conference (loading order matters)
• Remove packages that conflict with ICLR (geometry, standalone font packages other than times, etc.)
• Do NOT add \iclrfinalcopy

Step 5 — Adjust ICLR-specific elements:

• Set \title{} for the paper title
• Set \author{Anonymous Author(s)} for submission phase
• Ensure \iclrfinalcopy is NOT present (or is commented out)

Step 6 — Set up bibliography:

• \bibliographystyle{iclr2026_conference}
• \bibliography{references}
• Do NOT use plain, abbrv, or natbib styles

Step 7 — Run latex_compile to verify successful compilation. If it fails, read the error log and fix.

Scenario 3: Fix ICLR Format Issues

Step 1 — Run latex_compile on the current project to obtain error/warning messages.

Step 2 — Read the preamble of main.tex with read_file.

Step 3 — Cross-check against the "Common Pitfalls" and "Key Format Rules" sections below. Common causes:

• Missing iclr2026_conference.sty or .bst in the project root
• hyperref loaded BEFORE iclr2026_conference (causes option clash)
• Missing times package (font falls back to Computer Modern)
• \iclrfinalcopy accidentally left active during submission
• Using geometry to override margins

Step 4 — Fix the issues using str_replace.

Step 5 — Run latex_compile to verify the fix.

Scenario 4: Pre-submission Format Compliance Check

Step 1 — Read the full main.tex with read_file.

Step 2 — Check each item:

• Anonymization: \iclrfinalcopy is NOT present or is commented out; \author{Anonymous Author(s)}
• Page limit: body ≤ 9 pages (excluding references) — verify against the current year's CFP
• Single-column layout: no layout overrides
• Font: times package is loaded
• Bibliography style: uses iclr2026_conference bst
• hyperref loading order: loaded AFTER iclr2026_conference
• Forbidden packages: no geometry or conflicting font packages

Step 3 — Report any issues found and fix them one by one using str_replace.

Step 4 — Run latex_compile for final compilation verification.

Format Reference

⚠️ Reference only — always verify: The rules below reflect common patterns from recent years. Conference requirements (page limits, required sections, package restrictions, submission options, etc.) can change each year. Before making any formatting changes, verify all requirements against the current year's official CFP and the author kit files (sample .tex, README, formatting guide PDF) bundled in the template download.

Template Download

Official source:

• Go to https://iclr.cc → current year → "Author Guidelines" or "Submission Instructions"
• The template is also linked from the OpenReview submission page for the current year

Overleaf:

• Search "ICLR [year] Conference Paper Template" on https://www.overleaf.com/latex/templates
• The official ICLR Overleaf template is maintained by the organizers

GitHub (most reliable for latest version):

• Search GitHub for iclr-conference/iclr-paper-template or similar

Setup: Unzip Location

Unzip into the project root (same directory as main.tex):

project/
├── main.tex
├── iclr2026_conference.sty    ← style file, must be at root
├── iclr2026_conference.bst    ← bibliography style, must be at root
└── iclr2026_conference.tex    ← sample paper — READ THIS

Read These Files First

1. iclr2026_conference.tex — the sample paper; contains preamble setup, author block, abstract, and section examples with explanatory comments
2. Comments inside iclr2026_conference.sty — explains \iclrfinalcopy and other options

Template Setup in main.tex

ICLR uses article document class + multiple packages (no single all-in-one .sty):

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{iclr2026_conference, times}
\usepackage{hyperref}
\usepackage{url}

% For camera-ready ONLY (de-anonymizes the paper):
% \iclrfinalcopy

Rule: Do NOT add \iclrfinalcopy for submission. Add it only after acceptance for camera-ready.

Key Format Rules

Author Block

Submission (anonymous):

\author{Anonymous Author(s)}

Camera-ready (after adding \iclrfinalcopy):

\author{%
  First Author\thanks{Equal contribution.} \\
  Department, University \\
  City, Country \\
  \texttt{email@example.com} \\
  \And
  Second Author \\
  Department, University \\
  \texttt{email2@example.com}
}

Common Pitfalls

• \iclrfinalcopy must be placed BEFORE \begin{document} — placing it inside the document body has no effect.
• Do NOT use geometry package — margins are set by the style.
• hyperref must be loaded AFTER iclr2026_conference — loading order matters; the style file configures hyperref internally.
• times package is required — do not omit it; without it the font falls back to Computer Modern, which violates format requirements.
• If .sty or .bst not found: both must be in the project root.

Bibliography

ICLR uses a custom .bst file (bundled in the author kit):

\bibliographystyle{iclr2026_conference}
\bibliography{references}

Do NOT use plain, abbrv, or natbib styles — the iclr2026_conference.bst produces the required citation format.