Skip to main content
OJS for Everyone Logo
OJS for EveryoneThe Practical GuidebookRSYN Research LLP

Email Templates

OJS sends automated emails at every stage of the editorial workflow — submission confirmation, review invitations, decision notifications, and more. All of these emails can be customised through Settings → Workflow → Emails.

Accessing Email Templates​

Settings → Workflow → Emails

You see a list of all email templates organised by the workflow stage or function they serve.

Understanding Template Variables​

Email templates use template variables — placeholders that OJS replaces with real data when the email is sent. Variables are written inside curly braces, for example:

VariableReplaced with
{$authorName}The author's full name
{$journalName}The journal title
{$submissionTitle}The article title
{$editorialContactSignature}The editor's contact signature
{$reviewerName}The reviewer's name
{$submissionUrl}Direct link to the submission in OJS
{$passwordResetUrl}Link to reset a user's password

Always preview an email after editing to verify variable substitution works as expected.

Editing a Template​

  1. Find the template in the list (use browser Ctrl+F to search by name).
  2. Click the Edit button (pencil icon) next to the template name.
  3. Edit the Subject and/or Body fields.
  4. Click Save.

The edited template is used immediately for all subsequent emails of that type sent by your journal.

Resetting to Default​

If a template edit causes problems:

  1. Open the template for editing.
  2. Click Reset to Default (if available) to restore the original PKP text.
warning

If no "Reset to Default" button appears, note the original text from the Learning OJS documentation before editing, so you can manually restore it.

Key Templates to Customise​

TemplateWhen it is sentCustomise for
Submission AcknowledgementWhen an author completes a submissionJournal branding, expected timeline
Review RequestWhen a reviewer is invitedExplain review scope, link to reviewer guidelines
Review ReminderWhen a review deadline approachesFriendly but firm reminder tone
Editorial Decision — AcceptWhen an article is acceptedWarm congratulatory message, next steps
Editorial Decision — Revisions RequiredWhen revisions are requestedClear revision instructions, deadline
Editorial Decision — DeclineWhen a submission is rejectedRespectful, constructive tone
Password ResetWhen a user requests a password resetYour journal branding

Adding Your Journal Signature​

Most journals add a consistent signature to editorial emails:

Best regards,

The Editorial Team
[Journal Name]
[Journal URL]
[Email Address]

Add this signature to frequently sent templates like acceptance/rejection notifications and review invitations.

Enabling and Disabling Templates​

Some templates can be disabled if your journal does not use them. Click the toggle next to a template to enable or disable it. Disabled templates are not sent — use this sparingly, as authors and reviewers rely on these notifications.

Multilingual Email Templates​

If your journal operates in multiple languages, each email template can have separate content per locale:

  1. Click the language flag icon next to the template fields.
  2. Select the target language.
  3. Enter the translated subject and body.

OJS sends the email in the user's preferred language if a translation is available; otherwise it falls back to the journal's primary language.

Email Delivery Issues​

If users report not receiving OJS emails:

  1. Check that your OJS installation is configured with a working SMTP server under config.inc.php. The default PHP mail() function is unreliable and often filtered as spam.
  2. Verify your sending domain has SPF and DKIM records published in DNS.
  3. Ask recipients to check their spam/junk folder and add your journal's email to their contacts.
  4. Review the Activity Log on the submission to confirm OJS recorded the email as sent.

See the Site Administrator's Email Configuration guide for SMTP setup instructions.

Further Reading​