Tutorial: Configure Email in OJS

Role: Journal Manager / Site Administrator
Time: 20–30 minutes
OJS Version: 3.5+

This tutorial explains how to configure OJS to send emails reliably using an SMTP server or a third-party email provider.

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Why Email Configuration Matters

OJS sends automated emails at every stage of the editorial workflow:

• Submission acknowledgements
• Review invitations and reminders
• Editorial decision notifications
• Publication announcements

If email is not configured correctly, these messages will fail silently or land in spam folders. Using a proper SMTP relay is strongly recommended.

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Before You Start

• You have Site Administrator or Journal Manager access.
• You have SMTP credentials from your email provider (host, port, username, password).
• You know whether your server already has sendmail / mail() configured.

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Step 1 — Choose an Email Delivery Method

OJS supports three methods:

Method	When to Use
PHP mail()	Only for local testing; unreliable for production
sendmail	If your server has sendmail/postfix configured
SMTP	Recommended — use a dedicated email relay service

For production journals, use SMTP with a transactional email service:

Service	Free Tier	Notes
SendGrid	100 emails/day	Good deliverability; easy setup
Mailgun	1,000 emails/month	Developer-friendly API and SMTP
Amazon SES	62,000/month (EC2)	Very low cost; requires AWS account
Brevo (Sendinblue)	300 emails/day	Easy setup; EU-based
Postmark	Paid	Excellent deliverability for transactional email
Gmail SMTP	500/day	Use only for very small journals

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Step 2 — Configure SMTP in config.inc.php

Site Administrators configure SMTP globally by editing config.inc.php:

1. Open config.inc.php in a text editor (SSH/SFTP access required).
2. Find the [email] section:

[email]

; Use SMTP for sending mail instead of mail()
smtp = On

; SMTP server settings
smtp_server = smtp.sendgrid.net
smtp_port = 587

; Enable SMTP authentication
smtp_auth = PLAIN
smtp_username = apikey
smtp_password = SG.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

; Enable TLS encryption
smtp_secure = tls

; From address for all outgoing mail
default_envelope_sender = journal@yoursite.com

; Allow envelope sender to be changed per journal
allow_envelope_sender = Off

3. Save the file.

Common SMTP Settings by Provider

Provider	Host	Port	Auth	Security
SendGrid	smtp.sendgrid.net	587	PLAIN	TLS
Mailgun	smtp.mailgun.org	587	PLAIN	TLS
Amazon SES	email-smtp.us-east-1.amazonaws.com	587	LOGIN	TLS
Brevo	smtp-relay.brevo.com	587	LOGIN	TLS
Gmail	smtp.gmail.com	587	LOGIN	TLS

Gmail App Password

If using Gmail SMTP, you must use an App Password (not your regular password). Enable 2-Step Verification on your Google account, then generate an App Password at myaccount.google.com/apppasswords.

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Step 3 — Configure Sender Address in Journal Settings

Journal Managers can override the sender address per journal:

1. Navigate to Settings → Journal → Contact.
2. Set the Principal Contact Email — this becomes the From address for journal emails.
3. Verify this address is authorised in your SMTP provider's sender settings.
4. Click Save.

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Step 4 — Set Up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Records

To prevent your emails from being marked as spam, configure DNS records:

SPF Record

Add a TXT record to your domain's DNS:

v=spf1 include:sendgrid.net ~all

(Replace sendgrid.net with your provider's SPF include.)

DKIM

1. Log in to your email provider's dashboard.
2. Find Domain Authentication or DKIM settings.
3. Copy the CNAME/TXT records provided and add them to your DNS.
4. Verify domain authentication in the provider's dashboard.

DMARC

Add a TXT record:

_dmarc.yoursite.com  TXT  "v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:dmarc@yoursite.com"

Start with p=none to monitor before switching to p=quarantine or p=reject.

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Step 5 — Customise Email Templates

OJS includes pre-written email templates for every workflow stage. To customise them:

1. Navigate to Settings → Workflow → Email Templates.
2. Find the template you want to edit (e.g., Review Request).
3. Click Edit.
4. Modify the Subject and Body.
5. Available variables (insert with {$variableName}):

Variable	Value
{$journalName}	Journal full name
{$authorName}	Author's full name
{$submissionTitle}	Manuscript title
{$reviewerName}	Reviewer's full name
{$editorialContactSignature}	Editor's name and journal name
{$submissionUrl}	Direct link to the submission

6. Click Save.

Reset a Template

If you make a mistake, click Reset to Default to restore the original template text.

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Step 6 — Test Email Delivery

1. Submit a test article as an author account.
2. Check that the Acknowledgement of Submission email arrives in your inbox.
3. If no email is received:
   • Check your spam/junk folder.
   • Review the server's mail log (/var/log/mail.log or /var/log/maillog).
   • In OJS, go to Administration → System Information and check for email-related errors.

Check Email Log (Site Admin)

OJS 3.5+ has a built-in email log:

1. Go to Administration → Email Log (if the logging plugin is enabled).
2. Review sent emails and any error messages.

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Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
Emails not sent at all	Verify SMTP credentials in config.inc.php; check server firewall allows outbound port 587
Emails in spam	Set up SPF/DKIM/DMARC DNS records; use a reputable SMTP provider
Authentication failed	Double-check username/password; for SendGrid use apikey as the username and the full API key as the password
TLS handshake error	Check that your server supports TLS 1.2+; try port 465 (SMTPS) as an alternative
Emails delayed	Caused by your email provider rate-limiting; check provider dashboard for sending limits
Template variables not replaced	Verify variable names (case-sensitive) and that the journal has complete contact settings

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Next Steps

• Email Providers Reference — comparison of email services for OJS
• Mailing List Providers — newsletter tools for reader announcements
• Tutorial: Set Up a New Journal — complete journal configuration