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 <PROJECT_CORE>.
   • 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.