---
name: "synctex"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "texlive-doc"
version: "2026.1-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/synctex"
---

# synctex(1)

command line client tool to support the Synchronize TeXnology available in most TeX engines.

## NAME

**synctex** – command line client tool to support the Synchronize TeXnology available in most TeX engines.

## SYNOPSIS

**synctex** *command* \[*options*\] \[*args*\]

## OVERVIEW

The Synchronization TeXnology is a feature of recent TeX engines. It allows one to synchronize between input and output, which means to navigate from the source document to the typeset material and vice versa.

Run \`synctex help' to access the built-in tool documentation.

## TEX ENGINE OPTION -synctex=NUMBER

- If NUMBER=0 or no option is given, no synctex file is created.

- If NUMBER\<0, synctex files are text files.

- If NUMBER\>0, synctex files are compressed with gz.

- If NUMBER&2, no .gz extension is used.

- If NUMBER&4, activate form support, useful for pdftex.

- If NUMBER&8, better file compression.

Use for example \`pdftex -synctex=15 foo.tex' to activate all the options.

Notice that LuaTeX option is \`--synctex=NUMBER' with two dashes.

## SEE ALSO

[synctex(5)](/synctex/5.md) [tex(1)](/tex/1.md)

## AUTHOR

The Synchronize TeXnology is essentially due to Jerome Laurens, with useful suggestions by some well known actors of the TeX world. SyncTeX is maintained as part of TeX Live.

## HISTORY

Revised on Sun Apr 23 09:54:20 UTC 2017.