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Why self-host Typeset

Self-hosting Typeset gives you complete control over your LaTeX editing environment. Consider self-hosting if you:
  • Need to keep documents within your organization’s infrastructure
  • Want to customize the AI models or LaTeX compilation pipeline
  • Require integration with internal authentication systems
  • Need to deploy in air-gapped or restricted environments
  • Want to avoid vendor lock-in
The official hosted version at typeset.im is maintained by the Typeset team and includes automatic updates, backups, and support.

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Architecture overview

Typeset is built on a modern serverless architecture:
Self-hosted instances require proper configuration of external services for full functionality.

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Core components

Next.js application The frontend and API are built with Next.js 15, using React 19 and TypeScript. The application uses server-side rendering and API routes for backend logic. Tectonic LaTeX compiler Typeset uses the Tectonic LaTeX engine to compile documents to PDF. The Tectonic binary (~/bin/tectonic) must be included in your deployment.
  • Linux: Pre-built binary included in bin/tectonic
  • macOS: Install via /usr/local/bin/tectonic
  • Platform-specific paths are configured in app/api/compile/route.ts:22-25
Authentication layer User authentication is handled by Clerk. Protected routes include:
  • /my-projects
  • /shared-with-me
  • /project/*
Real-time collaboration Liveblocks powers real-time collaborative editing using Yjs for conflict-free replicated data types (CRDTs). AI integration The AI assistant supports multiple models through Vercel’s AI SDK:
  • OpenAI GPT-4.1-mini (default)
  • Google Gemini 2.5 Flash

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Data flow

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System requirements

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Server requirements

  • Node.js: 20.x or later
  • Memory: Minimum 512 MB, recommended 2 GB
  • Storage: 500 MB for application + cache space for LaTeX packages
  • Platform: Linux (x86_64) or macOS
Tectonic downloads LaTeX packages on-demand. Ensure sufficient disk space and internet connectivity for package downloads.

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External services

Required third-party services:
  1. Clerk - User authentication
  2. Liveblocks - Real-time collaboration
  3. OpenAI or Google AI - AI assistant functionality
  4. Vercel (recommended) - Hosting and deployment

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Deployment options

Typeset can be deployed to any platform that supports Next.js:
  • Vercel (recommended) - Zero-config deployment with automatic scaling
  • Docker - Containerized deployment for any cloud provider
  • Self-managed - Deploy to your own servers with Node.js
See Deployment for detailed instructions.

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Security considerations

Self-hosting requires you to manage security, including keeping dependencies updated and securing API keys.
Key security considerations:
  • Keep environment variables secure (never commit to version control)
  • Use HTTPS for all production deployments
  • Regularly update dependencies for security patches
  • Configure Clerk webhook signing secrets
  • Restrict API access with proper CORS settings
  • Monitor LaTeX compilation for resource exhaustion

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Limitations

When self-hosting, you are responsible for:
  • Maintaining uptime and availability
  • Backing up user data (handled by external services)
  • Scaling infrastructure as usage grows
  • Applying security updates
  • Debugging issues without official support

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Next steps

1

Install Typeset

Follow the installation guide to set up your local environment.
2

Configure services

Set up API keys and environment variables in the configuration guide.
3

Deploy

Deploy to Vercel or your preferred platform using the deployment guide.

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