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OJS for EveryoneThe Practical GuidebookRSYN Research LLP

Support Plans & Licensing

Questions about OJS support arrangements, theme licences, and what different support tiers include.

How do hosting and support providers support OJS?​

Most managed OJS providers offer support through one or more of:

  • Email/ticket system — submit a request and receive a response within a stated SLA (e.g., 24 hours).
  • Live chat — real-time text support during business hours.
  • Phone support — available from some premium providers for urgent issues.
  • Knowledge base / documentation — self-service articles for common questions.
  • Community forum — the PKP Community Forum is a free community resource available to all OJS users.

The level of support included depends on the plan. Always verify what is included before signing up.

What does OJS support typically include?​

Standard support typically covers:

  • OJS installation, configuration, and upgrade assistance
  • Troubleshooting OJS errors and bugs
  • Plugin installation and configuration
  • Email delivery troubleshooting
  • Server configuration advice
  • Guidance on OJS settings and workflow configuration

Not typically included:

  • Content entry (adding articles, users, or issues on your behalf)
  • Custom plugin or theme development (unless separately contracted)
  • Training (may be a separate service)
  • Pre-existing issues on your installation before support contract start

What is an OJS theme licence?​

An OJS theme licence defines how you are permitted to use a purchased theme. Common licence types:

Licence TypePermitted Use
Single-site licenceInstall and use the theme on one OJS journal
Multi-site licenceInstall on multiple OJS journals or sites
Extended licenceUse as part of a client service offering or template
GPLUse, modify, and redistribute freely

Always read the licence agreement before purchasing. If a vendor does not provide a clear licence, ask in writing.

Do I need a second licence for a second OJS site?​

With a standard single-site licence, yes — you need a separate licence for each OJS installation.

Options to cover multiple sites:

  • Purchase individual licences for each site.
  • Purchase a multi-site or unlimited site licence from the vendor.
  • Commission a custom GPL theme that you can legally deploy on any number of your own sites.

Clarify this before purchasing if you operate multiple journals.

Can I buy an Extended Licence for a theme I already purchased?​

Most commercial theme vendors allow upgrading from a standard licence to an extended licence:

  1. Contact the vendor and reference your existing purchase.
  2. Pay the price difference (or the extended licence fee).
  3. The vendor issues an updated licence.

Typical extended licence use cases:

  • A hosting provider or publishing service that installs the theme for multiple clients.
  • A university library that purchases a theme for multiple journals it hosts.

How much does an Extended Licence cost?​

Extended licence pricing varies widely by vendor. As a rough guide:

  • Standard single-site licences: $50–$300 USD
  • Multi-site or extended licences: 2–5x the single-site price

Confirm the exact price with the vendor.

This depends on the licence:

  • GPL themes: You can modify the theme code to remove footer credits — GPL gives you this right.
  • Commercial themes with "footer credit" clauses: Some vendors require that a footer credit (e.g., "Theme by XYZ") remain as part of the licence terms. Removing it may violate the licence. Purchase an "Extended Licence" or "Remove Footer Credit" add-on if the vendor offers one.

Read the licence carefully or ask the vendor before removing footer attributions.

Does support typically cover pre-existing OJS issues?​

Most support contracts cover issues that arise after the support contract begins. Pre-existing problems (errors, data issues, broken configurations inherited from a previous administrator) are often treated as billable consulting work rather than standard support.

When inheriting an existing OJS installation or switching providers:

  • Request a site audit from the new provider.
  • Clarify in writing whether pre-existing issues are covered before signing.

What is typical support response time?​

Standard SLAs (Service Level Agreements) by tier:

Support tierFirst response
Basic / email support24–48 business hours
Standard8–24 business hours
Priority4–8 hours
Emergency / 24-71–4 hours

For non-urgent questions (how to configure a setting, etc.), 24-hour responses are normal. For site outages, expect priority support plans to respond within hours.

Do support providers offer phone support?​

Some premium OJS support providers offer phone support. Standard and basic plans usually use email or ticket systems only.

If phone support is important to you:

  • Ask specifically before purchasing.
  • Expect phone support to be available during business hours rather than 24/7.

Do support providers offer 24/7 OJS support?​

24/7 support is available from some premium hosting providers, but is less common for specialised OJS support. For critical publication deadlines:

  • Consider a premium plan with after-hours coverage.
  • Establish emergency contact procedures with your support provider in advance.
  • The PKP Community Forum is a free community resource where experienced OJS administrators in different timezones often respond within hours.

What is the preferred method for submitting support requests?​

Most providers prefer email or a ticket/support portal because:

  • It creates a documented record of the issue and solution.
  • It can be escalated to specialists who might not be available by phone.
  • Complex issues with screenshots and log files are easier to handle in writing.

Always include:

  • Your OJS version number.
  • A description of the issue and when it started.
  • Steps to reproduce the problem.
  • Any error messages (copy the full text).
  • Screenshots if relevant.

What happens if my OJS site is hacked?​

If you suspect a compromise:

  1. Take the site offline immediately — this prevents further damage and stops the site from serving malware to visitors.
  2. Contact your hosting provider immediately — they may have incident response procedures.
  3. Change all passwords — OJS admin, FTP/SSH, control panel, and database.
  4. Identify the attack vector — server logs can help determine how the attacker got in.
  5. Restore from a clean backup — use a backup predating the compromise.
  6. Apply all OJS security patches — upgrade to the latest OJS version.
  7. Scan for malware — use server-side malware scanning tools.

See the Security FAQ for more details on OJS security.

Further Reading​