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LaTeX Math for Confluence
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Live Preview

Experience real-time LaTeX equation rendering with the built-in live preview feature.

What is Live Preview?

Live Preview provides instant visual feedback as you write LaTeX equations. See your mathematical expressions render in real-time without having to save or publish your changes.

LaTeX on one side, the typeset formula on the other

Key Features

  • ⚡ Real-time Rendering - See changes instantly as you type
  • 🎨 Split-Pane Editor - Code on left, preview on right
  • 🔄 Auto-Update - Preview updates automatically
  • 🎯 Syntax Validation - Immediate error feedback
  • 📱 Responsive Design - Works on all screen sizes

How Live Preview Works

Editor Layout

┌─────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────┐
│    LaTeX Editor         │    Live Preview         │
│                         │                         │
│  \[                     │                         │
│    E = mc^2             │       E = mc²           │
│  \]                     │                         │
│                         │                         │
└─────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────┘

The Split-Pane Interface

Left Pane: LaTeX Editor

  • Syntax-highlighted code editor
  • Write and edit LaTeX code
  • Autocomplete for LaTeX commands and your favorite formulas
  • Line numbers for easy navigation

Right Pane: Preview

  • Real-time rendered output
  • Shows exactly how your equation will appear
  • Alignment controls (left/center/right)
  • Instant error messages

Using Live Preview

Opening the Editor

  1. Insert a LaTeX macro on your page
  2. The editor opens automatically with live preview
  3. Start typing your LaTeX code
  4. Watch the preview update in real-time

Writing Equations

As you type:

\int

Preview shows: ∫

Continue typing:

\int_{-\infty}^{\infty}

Preview updates: ∫₋∞^∞

Complete the equation:

\int_{-\infty}^{\infty} e^{-x^2} dx = \sqrt{\pi}

Preview shows the full rendered equation.

Editing Existing Equations

  1. Click on any LaTeX macro
  2. The editor opens with your existing code
  3. Make changes in the left pane
  4. Preview updates automatically
  5. Click Save when satisfied

Preview Features

Alignment Preview

Test different alignments in real-time:

Left Align

  • Click the left align button
  • Preview updates immediately
  • Equation aligns to left margin

Center Align (Default)

  • Click the center align button
  • Preview centers the equation
  • Most common for display equations

Right Align

  • Click the right align button
  • Preview aligns to right margin
  • Useful for specific formatting needs

Error Detection

The preview helps catch errors immediately:

Syntax Error:

\frac{1}{2

Preview shows: ❌ Error: Missing closing brace

Unknown Command:

\unknowncommand

Preview shows: ❌ Error: Undefined control sequence

Fixed Code:

\frac{1}{2}

Preview shows: ½ ✅

Resizable Panes

Adjusting Pane Width

  1. Hover over the divider between panes
  2. Drag left or right to resize
  3. Release when satisfied

Presets:

  • 50/50 split (default)
  • 60/40 (more code space)
  • 40/60 (more preview space)

💡 Tip: Give more space to the pane you're focusing on.

Editor Shortcuts

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut Action
Ctrl/Cmd + S Save equation
Ctrl/Cmd + Enter Save and close
Esc Close without saving
Ctrl/Cmd + Z Undo
Ctrl/Cmd + Y Redo

Editor Features

Auto-Indentation

  • Automatic code formatting
  • Proper nesting for environments

Syntax Highlighting

  • Commands highlighted in color
  • Easier to spot errors

Bracket Matching

  • Matching braces highlighted
  • Helps balance parentheses

Formula Library

Click Formula Library in the editor footer to browse predefined formulas and symbols, search them, and insert one at the cursor. You can star formulas and save your own to Favorites, which follow you to every LaTeX editor on the site. See Formula Library and Favorites.

Best Practices

✅ Do's

  1. Use the preview - Verify rendering before saving
  2. Test alignment - Try different alignments
  3. Check for errors - Watch for error messages
  4. Adjust pane sizes - Optimize for your workflow
  5. Save frequently - Don't lose your work

❌ Don'ts

  1. Don't ignore errors - Fix syntax issues before saving
  2. Don't rush - Take time to verify output
  3. Don't close without saving - You'll lose changes
  4. Don't overcomplicate - Keep LaTeX simple when possible

Preview Limitations

What Preview Shows

✅ Final rendered appearance ✅ Alignment ✅ Font size relative to page ✅ Dark/light mode ✅ Error messages

What Preview Doesn't Show

❌ Exact page context ❌ Surrounding Confluence content ❌ How it looks in different browsers ❌ Mobile view (use responsive preview)

Note: Always preview the full page after saving to see the equation in context.

Troubleshooting

Preview Not Updating

Problem: Changes don't appear in preview

Solutions:

  1. Wait a moment - there's a small delay
  2. Check for syntax errors
  3. Try typing in a different part of the code
  4. Refresh the editor (close and reopen)

Preview Shows Error

Problem: Red error message in preview

Solutions:

  1. Read the error message carefully
  2. Check for:
    • Missing closing braces }
    • Unbalanced delimiters
    • Typos in command names
    • Unsupported commands
  3. Fix the error and preview updates

Panes Won't Resize

Problem: Can't drag the divider

Solutions:

  1. Ensure you're hovering over the divider
  2. Try clicking and dragging again
  3. Refresh the page
  4. Use a different browser

Preview is Blank

Problem: Right pane shows nothing

Solutions:

  1. Check if you've entered any LaTeX code
  2. Verify code has valid delimiters
  3. Look for syntax errors
  4. Try entering a simple equation: E = mc^2

Performance Tips

For Smooth Preview

  • ✅ Keep equations reasonably sized
  • ✅ Avoid extremely complex nested structures
  • ✅ Use proper LaTeX syntax
  • ⚠️ Very large matrices may render slowly
  • ⚠️ Excessive nesting impacts performance

Editor Performance

The live preview is optimized for:

  • Up to 500 lines of LaTeX code
  • Equations with up to 50 elements
  • Matrices up to 10×10

For larger content:

  • Preview may have slight delay
  • Consider breaking into multiple macros
  • Simplify where possible

Mobile Experience

Tablet View

  • Split-pane layout maintained
  • Panes stack vertically in portrait mode
  • Horizontal scroll for wide equations
  • Touch-friendly controls

Phone View

  • Editor and preview in tabs
  • Swipe to switch between views
  • Full-width editing
  • Save button always visible

Advanced Tips

1. Quick Testing

Use the preview to test LaTeX commands:

\alpha \beta \gamma

See Greek letters instantly.

2. Learning LaTeX

The preview is a great learning tool:

  • Type commands
  • See results immediately
  • Learn by experimenting

3. Debugging

Use preview to isolate errors:

  • Comment out sections
  • Find the problematic line
  • Fix and verify

4. Comparing Approaches

Test different LaTeX approaches:

% Approach 1
\frac{a}{b}

% Approach 2
a/b

Choose what looks best.

Accessibility

Screen reader support

Screen readers can read the formulas on your pages:

  • Inline formulas are images whose alt text is the spoken form of the formula, for example "x squared plus y squared equals z squared".
  • Block formulas are typeset by KaTeX, which includes MathML that screen readers read.
  • Formulas in PDF and Word exports carry the same spoken alt text.

The app generates the spoken form itself, so there is nothing to set up.

Need Help?

Guides for LaTeX Math for Confluence

Stuck on something this page does not cover? Ask the developers.