Neurips

[SKILL: NeurIPS PAPER FORMAT]

Activate when: user mentions NeurIPS, Neural Information Processing Systems, or asks to use the NeurIPS 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/neurips2025/ (referred to as TEMPLATES_DIR below), targeting NeurIPS 2025. Contents: neurips.sty, main.tex, extra_pkgs.tex, Makefile.

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: neurips.sty, main.tex, extra_pkgs.tex.
3. Use local built-in template only when BOTH conditions hold:
   • target year = 2025
   • files in TEMPLATES_DIR are complete
4. If either condition fails (target year is not 2025 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://neurips.cc → "Conferences" → target year → "Call for Papers" or "Author Instructions" → download Style Files .zip
     • Overleaf fallback: search "NeurIPS [year]" on https://www.overleaf.com/latex/templates
   • Unzip downloaded files directly into .
   • All subsequent steps must use downloaded year-specific filenames.
5. Filename substitution rule for all steps below:
   • Resolve the package name from the selected .sty filename (basename without .sty).
   • Treat neurips in commands/examples as a placeholder for that resolved package name.
   • Example: if the selected style file is neurips_2025.sty, replace neurips with neurips_2025 in \\usepackage, copy commands, and related checks.

Scenario Routing

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

Scenario 1: Create a New NeurIPS Project

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

bash(command="cp TEMPLATES_DIR/neurips.sty TEMPLATES_DIR/extra_pkgs.tex <PROJECT_CORE>/")

Step 2 — Read TEMPLATES_DIR/main.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{neurips})
• Use NO option for anonymous submission (default); use [final] only for camera-ready
• If using natbib separately, add [nonatbib] option and load natbib manually
• Replace body content with the user's paper content or generate a skeleton (title / abstract / sections)
• Set \bibliographystyle{abbrvnat} 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 NeurIPS Template

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

Step 2 — Read TEMPLATES_DIR/main.tex with read_file to understand the required NeurIPS 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/neurips.sty <PROJECT_CORE>/")

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

• Change \documentclass to \documentclass{article}
• Add \usepackage{neurips} (no option = anonymous submission)
• Remove packages that conflict with NeurIPS (geometry, times, mathptmx, standalone font packages, etc.)
• Do NOT remove \usepackage[utf8]{inputenc} — it is required

Step 5 — Adjust NeurIPS-specific elements:

• Set \title{} for the paper title
• Set \author{Anonymous Author(s)} for submission phase
• Ensure no identifying information is present

Step 6 — Set up bibliography:

• \bibliographystyle{abbrvnat} (or unsrtnat, plainnat)
• \bibliography{references}
• If using [nonatbib] option, use a standard .bst style instead

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

Scenario 3: Fix NeurIPS 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 neurips.sty in the project root
• Using \usepackage{times} or \usepackage{mathptmx} separately (NeurIPS loads fonts internally)
• Using the geometry package to override margins
• \author{} not set to anonymous for submission

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: no option (anonymous) is used; \author{Anonymous Author(s)}
• Page limit: body ≤ 9 pages (excluding references) — verify against the current year's CFP
• Single-column layout: no layout overrides
• Bibliography style: uses abbrvnat or another natbib-compatible style
• Forbidden packages: no geometry, times, mathptmx
• Checklist: neurips_XXXX_checklist.md is filled out and appended after references

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 — always fetch the current year's):

• Go to https://neurips.cc → "Conferences" → current year → "Call for Papers" or "Author Instructions"
• Look for "Style Files" or "LaTeX Style Files" download link (usually a .zip)

Overleaf (no local install needed):

• Search "NeurIPS [year]" on https://www.overleaf.com/latex/templates
• Select the official NeurIPS template and clone it

CTAN (if TeX Live is installed):

tlmgr install neurips

Setup: Unzip Location

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

project/
├── main.tex
├── neurips.sty             ← style file, must be at root
├── extra_pkgs.tex          ← additional package imports
└── Makefile                ← build helper

The .sty file must be alongside main.tex so LaTeX can find it without a path prefix.

Read These Files First

Before editing, always read these in order:

1. main.tex — the sample paper; contains preamble setup and document structure
2. extra_pkgs.tex — additional packages used by the template
3. Comments inside neurips.sty (last resort; the sample .tex is usually sufficient)

Template Setup in main.tex

NeurIPS uses article document class + a .sty package (NOT a custom .cls):

\documentclass{article}

% Choose ONE option:
\usepackage{neurips}                    % anonymous submission (default for review)
% \usepackage[final]{neurips}           % camera-ready (de-anonymizes, adds copyright)
% \usepackage[preprint]{neurips}        % arXiv preprint (no "Submitted to..." notice)
% \usepackage[nonatbib]{neurips}        % if you manage bibliography without natbib

Rule: Submit with NO option (anonymous). Switch to [final] only for camera-ready.

Key Format Rules

Common Pitfalls

• Do NOT use \usepackage{times} or \usepackage{mathptmx} separately — the NeurIPS style loads fonts internally; adding them causes conflicts.
• Do NOT remove \usepackage[utf8]{inputenc} — required for special characters.
• \author{} must be \author{Anonymous Author(s)} during submission. Forget this = desk rejection.
• Margin overrides are forbidden — do not use geometry to change margins.
• If neurips.sty is not found at compile time: the file is missing from the project root. Download the template and place the .sty there.

Bibliography

NeurIPS uses natbib by default:

\bibliographystyle{abbrvnat}   % or unsrtnat, plainnat
\bibliography{references}

If you used [nonatbib], use a standard .bst style instead.

Checklist (Submission Requirement)

The ethics/reproducibility checklist (neurips_XXXX_checklist.md) must be filled out and appended after the references. The sample .tex shows exactly where to include it.