Icml

[SKILL: ICML PAPER FORMAT]

Activate when: user mentions ICML, International Conference on Machine Learning, or asks to use the ICML 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/icml2026/ (referred to as TEMPLATES_DIR below), targeting ICML 2026. Contents: icml2026.sty, icml2026.bst, example_paper.tex, fancyhdr.sty, algorithm.sty, algorithmic.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: icml2026.sty, icml2026.bst, example_paper.tex, fancyhdr.sty, algorithm.sty, algorithmic.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://icml.cc → target year → "Author Instructions" or "Submission Guidelines" → download Style Files .zip
     • Overleaf fallback: search "ICML [year]" on https://www.overleaf.com/latex/templates
   • Unzip downloaded files directly into .
   • All subsequent steps must use downloaded year-specific filenames (e.g., icml2025.sty).
5. Filename substitution rule for all steps below:
   • Treat icml2026 in commands/examples as a placeholder for the resolved package basename from the selected .sty file.
   • Example: if the downloaded file is icml2025.sty, replace icml2026 with icml2025 everywhere (\\usepackage, .bst, copy commands, checklist checks).

Scenario Routing

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

Scenario 1: Create a New ICML Project

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

bash(command="cp TEMPLATES_DIR/icml2026.sty TEMPLATES_DIR/icml2026.bst TEMPLATES_DIR/fancyhdr.sty TEMPLATES_DIR/algorithm.sty TEMPLATES_DIR/algorithmic.sty <PROJECT_CORE>/")

Step 2 — Read TEMPLATES_DIR/example_paper.tex with read_file to understand the preamble structure and required macros.

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

• Keep the template preamble (\documentclass{article} + \usepackage[submitted]{icml2026})
• Replace body content with the user's paper content or generate a skeleton (title / abstract / sections)
• Set \bibliographystyle{icml2026} 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 ICML Template

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

Step 2 — Read TEMPLATES_DIR/example_paper.tex with read_file to understand the required ICML 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/icml2026.sty TEMPLATES_DIR/icml2026.bst TEMPLATES_DIR/fancyhdr.sty TEMPLATES_DIR/algorithm.sty TEMPLATES_DIR/algorithmic.sty <PROJECT_CORE>/")

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

• Change \documentclass to \documentclass{article}
• Add \usepackage[submitted]{icml2026}
• Remove packages that conflict with ICML (geometry, multicol, standalone font packages, etc.)

Step 5 — Adjust ICML-specific macros:

• Set \icmltitle{} for the paper title
• Set \icmltitlerunning{} for the running title (submission phase)
• Ensure the author block is empty during the submission phase

Step 6 — Set up bibliography:

• \bibliographystyle{icml2026}
• \bibliography{references}

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

Scenario 3: Fix ICML 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 icml2026.sty or fancyhdr.sty
• Using the geometry package to override margins
• Using \onecolumn or multicol which breaks the two-column layout
• \bibliographystyle not set to icml2026

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: [submitted] option is used; no author information present
• Page limit: body ≤ 8 pages (excluding references) — verify against the current year's CFP
• Two-column layout: no \onecolumn or geometry usage
• Bibliography style: uses icml2026 bst
• Forbidden packages: no geometry, multicol, or standalone 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 (URL changes each year):

• Go to https://icml.cc → current year → "Author Instructions" or "Submission Guidelines"
• Download the "Style Files" or "Author Kit" .zip

Overleaf:

• Search "ICML [year] Example Paper" on https://www.overleaf.com/latex/templates

CTAN (if TeX Live / MiKTeX is installed):

tlmgr install icml

Setup: Unzip Location

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

project/
├── main.tex
├── icml2026.sty          ← style file, must be at root
├── example_paper.tex     ← sample paper — READ THIS
└── icml2026.bst          ← bibliography style

Read These Files First

1. example_paper.tex — canonical reference for every format element; read it before editing main.tex
2. Comments inside icml2026.sty — explains option flags

Template Setup in main.tex

ICML uses article document class + .sty package:

\documentclass{article}

% Choose ONE option:
\usepackage[submitted]{icml2026}   % anonymous blind review (use for submission)
% \usepackage[accepted]{icml2026}  % camera-ready after acceptance
% \usepackage{icml2026}            % no header/footer (draft/preprint)

Rule: Use [submitted] for anonymous review. Switch to [accepted] only for camera-ready.

Key Format Rules

Common Pitfalls

• Do NOT change column layout — the .sty enforces two-column; using \onecolumn or multicol breaks the template.
• \icmltitle{} takes the paper title; \icmlauthor{}{} takes name + affiliation. For submission, use \icmltitlerunning{} only and omit authors.
• Page limit: always verify with the current year's CFP — page counts and appendix rules change between years.
• Do NOT use geometry package to override margins — the style sets margins; overriding causes page-size issues.
• fancyhdr.sty is a dependency; if it's missing, install with tlmgr install fancyhdr.

Bibliography

ICML uses standard BibTeX (not natbib):

\bibliographystyle{icml2026}   % matches the .bst file in the author kit
\bibliography{references}

Use the icml2026.bst file that comes with the author kit. Do NOT use plain, abbrv, or unsrtnat.

Author Block (camera-ready only)

\icmlauthor{Author Name}{affil1}
\icmlaffiliation{affil1}{Department, University, City, Country}
\icmlcorrespondingauthor{Author Name}{email@example.com}

See example_paper.tex for the full author block pattern.