AT Journal Blocks FAQ & Troubleshooting
On this page
Setting up for the first time? Start with the AT Journal Blocks User Guide. Don’t have the plugin yet? Download AT Journal Blocks (free).
General
Is it really free?
Yes. There is no licence key, no premium version of the blocks and no upsell inside OJS. It is free and open source under the GNU GPL, version 2 or later. Use it on as many journals as you like.
Do I need AT Gateway or an Altechmind account?
No. AT Journal Blocks works on its own. If you already use AT Gateway, its Free from Altechmind list shows AT Journal Blocks and links to its store page.
Which OJS versions are supported?
OJS 3.5 (PHP 8.2 or later). OJS 3.4 and earlier are not supported.
Which blocks are included?
Four: Indexing logos (or names), Call for papers with a deadline countdown, a Journal info card (ISSN, frequency, publisher, licence, language) and Latest announcements.
Does it work on a site with several journals?
Yes. Upload it once as site administrator, then switch it on in each journal that should show the blocks. Each journal has its own settings, logos and colours.
Installation & Setup
Where do I upload the plugin?
As a site administrator: Administration › Site Settings › Plugins › Upload a new plugin. Upload the .tar.gz file exactly as downloaded; don’t unpack it. Then switch it on in the journal under Website › Plugins › Generic Plugins.
The upload fails or the file is too large
The plugin file is small (about 35 KB), so size limits are rarely the cause. Check that:
- you are uploading the original
atJournalBlocks-<version>.tar.gz, not an unpacked or re-zipped copy (some browsers on macOS unpack downloads automatically); - the web server can write to OJS’s
plugins/genericfolder; - you are signed in as a site administrator, not only a journal manager.
Where are the settings?
In the journal: Website › Plugins › Installed Plugins › Generic Plugins, click the arrow next to AT Journal Blocks, then Settings. The plugin must be switched on in that journal first.
Do I have to fill in “Add an entry” every time I save?
No. Leave the Add an entry fields empty when you aren’t adding anything; the rest of the settings save as usual.
Blocks Not Showing
I saved the settings, but a block doesn’t appear
Work through this list:
- Is the plugin switched on in this journal? Check Website › Plugins › Generic Plugins.
- Is the block ticked under Show these blocks in the plugin settings?
- Is it in the sidebar? Check Website › Appearance › Setup › Sidebar: the block AT Journal Blocks: … must be ticked there. Saving the plugin settings ticks it for you.
- Does it have something to show? An empty block stays hidden:
- Indexing logos needs at least one entry.
- Call for papers needs a title, text or deadline. If the deadline has passed and Hide this block after the deadline is on, it hides itself.
- Latest announcements needs announcements switched on and at least one current announcement.
- Does your theme show a sidebar? Some themes or layouts have none on some pages. The blocks appear wherever your theme shows the OJS sidebar.
- Page cache or CDN? If your site uses one, clear it and reload the page.
Do the blocks show on article and issue pages?
Yes, from version 1.0.6.0, on every reader page that shows a sidebar: home, article, issue, archive, about and more. They never appear in OAI, feeds, sitemaps or “How to cite” downloads.
How do I change the order of the blocks?
Go to Website › Appearance › Setup and drag them in the Sidebar list, then save. Newly ticked blocks are added at the end of the sidebar; your order is kept after that.
Indexing Logos
Can I list a service without its logo?
Yes. A name is enough; it is shown as a neat text tile. Add a logo and a link if you like. With a logo, only the logo is shown and the name becomes its alt text. The link works on the logo or on the name.
Can I use the DOAJ, Scopus or Google Scholar logos?
You upload the logo files yourself, so follow each service’s rules for using its logo, and only show services that really index your journal. No logos are bundled with the plugin or loaded from other sites.
My logo upload is refused
Logos must be PNG, JPEG, GIF or WebP, up to 1 MB and 4000 × 4000 pixels. The type is checked from the file content, so a file renamed to .png won’t pass.
- SVG isn’t accepted, because SVG files can contain scripts. Export the logo as PNG (or WebP) instead.
- For a large photo-style file, resize it to about 400 pixels wide and save it again.
Can I add more than 12 entries?
No, 12 is the limit, to keep the sidebar readable. Remove an entry to add another.
My logo looks blurry or too small
Upload a version about twice the size it appears on screen (e.g. 300–400 pixels wide) so it stays sharp on high-resolution screens. Logos with a lot of empty space around them look small; crop the space away first. Grid gives every logo an equal tile; Strip sizes each tile to its logo, which suits wide logos.
How do I turn a logo back into a name?
Tick Remove logo, keep the name on that entry and save.
Call for Papers
Where does the “Submit your paper” button go?
To your journal’s About › Submissions page, where authors see your guidelines and the link to start a submission.
The countdown is a day off
The countdown uses today’s date in the time zone set for your OJS installation (time_zone in config.inc.php). If that is set to a different time zone from yours, the change of day happens at a different hour. Ask your host or administrator to set it to your journal’s time zone.
Can I run an open call without a deadline?
Yes. Leave Deadline empty. The block then shows the title, text and button, without a countdown.
What happens after the deadline?
With Hide this block after the deadline on (the default), the block disappears the day after the deadline. With it off, the block stays and says This call is closed., without the button. Enter a new deadline for your next call.
Can I use bold text or links in the call text?
No. The short text is plain text (up to 600 characters) for safety; leave an empty line between paragraphs. Put details on your Submissions page; the button links there.
Journal Info Card
Where do the values come from?
Until you save the plugin settings, the card uses your journal settings: ISSNs, publisher, licence and submission languages. Frequency has no journal setting, so type it in. Once you save, the card shows what is in the form.
I changed the ISSN in OJS, but the card still shows the old one
After you have saved the plugin settings once, the card uses the plugin’s own copy. Update the ISSN in the plugin settings too and save.
Can I hide a line, such as Frequency?
Yes. Empty fields are not shown. Clear the field and save.
Latest Announcements
The announcements block doesn’t appear
Announcements must be switched on for the journal (Website › Setup › Announcements), and there must be at least one current announcement. Expired announcements are not shown, the same as in OJS.
How many announcements are shown?
3 by default; choose 1 to 10 in the settings. They are shown newest first, with an All announcements link.
Colours, Dark Mode & Themes
Can I use my journal’s own colour?
Yes. Choose one of 7 colours, or Custom and enter a hex code such as #1a4f8b. Button text and link colours are adjusted automatically so they stay readable.
Will the blocks turn dark on my light theme?
Only if you choose so. Light (the default) always shows white cards. Dark always shows dark cards. Follow device shows dark cards only to readers whose device is in dark mode. Dark is never forced.
The blocks don’t match my theme
The blocks use your theme’s fonts and sit in its sidebar. Try a different accent colour and corner style first. A web designer can fine-tune the cards with the --atjb-* CSS variables, for example .atjb { --atjb-radius: 6px; }. Tested themes: Default and Health Sciences. If a theme shows them badly, let us know (see Getting Help).
I changed the colour, but the site still shows the old one
Reload the page without the cache (Ctrl+F5, or Cmd+Shift+R on a Mac). If your site uses a page cache or CDN, clear it.
Error Messages in the Settings Form
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| Open this plugin’s settings from a journal’s Website settings, with the plugin switched on. | Open the settings inside a journal (Website › Plugins), not from Administration, and switch the plugin on first. |
| Only journal managers can change these settings. | Sign in as a journal manager of this journal (or a site administrator). |
| Your session has expired. Reload the page and try again. | The form was open too long or you signed in again in another tab. Reload the page, then make your changes again. |
| Logos must be PNG, JPEG, GIF or WebP images of up to 1 MB and 4000 × 4000 pixels. | See My logo upload is refused. |
| Give the new entry a name… / Every entry needs a name… | Each indexing entry needs a name (up to 160 characters), even with a logo; it is used as the logo’s alt text. |
| Links must be full web addresses starting with https:// or http://. | Enter the full address, e.g. https://doaj.org/, or leave the link empty. |
| Enter the deadline as YYYY-MM-DD… | Use year-month-day, e.g. 2026-12-31. |
| Enter an ISSN like 1234-567X. | Eight characters with a hyphen in the middle; the last may be X. |
| Enter the custom colour as a hex code like #1a4f8b… | Use # plus 3 or 6 hex digits, or choose a preset colour. |
| You can add up to 12 entries. | Remove an indexing entry before adding another. |
Indexing, SEO, Performance & Privacy
Does it change my Google Scholar citation data or OAI?
No. Every Google Scholar citation_* tag, Dublin Core and Open Graph tag, OAI-PMH (every format), RSS/Atom feeds, sitemaps and “How to cite” stay byte-for-byte identical with the plugin on or off, and before and after an upgrade. We test this on a real OJS for every release. The plugin only adds sidebar content and one stylesheet.
Does it slow my journal down?
No noticeable difference. It adds one small stylesheet to pages that show a block, runs no JavaScript and makes no requests to other sites.
Does it send any data to Altechmind?
No. No requests to Altechmind or anyone else, no licence check, no tracking, no web fonts or CDNs. It stores its settings in your OJS database and your logos in your journal’s public files folder, nothing more.
Does it change OJS files or database tables?
No. It never edits OJS or theme files and creates no database tables. It only uses its own plugin settings and your journal’s sidebar list (the same list as Website › Appearance › Setup › Sidebar).
Updates, Switching Off & Removal
How do I update?
Download the new version from the store, then in Administration › Site Settings › Plugins click the arrow next to AT Journal Blocks, choose Upgrade and upload the file. Settings, logos and sidebar placement are kept.
What happens when I switch it off?
The blocks are taken out of the sidebar and your settings are kept. When you switch it on again, they return to the same places.
After deleting the plugin, I see its names in the sidebar list
That happens if it was deleted while still switched on in a journal, because OJS doesn’t tell plugins when they are deleted. The leftover names are harmless: OJS skips them, and they disappear the next time you save Website › Appearance › Setup. Next time, switch the plugin off in each journal before deleting it.
Are my uploaded logos deleted with the plugin?
No. They stay in the journal’s public files folder (public/journals/<id>/atJournalBlocks-logo-…) until you delete them, so nothing is lost if you reinstall.
Getting Help
Didn’t find your answer? Read the User Guide, or contact us:
- Email: support@altechmind.com
Please include your OJS version, PHP version, plugin version, theme, a link to the page where the problem shows, and any error message.
OJS and Open Journal Systems are projects of the Public Knowledge Project (PKP). AT Journal Blocks is not affiliated with or endorsed by PKP or by any indexing service.
Last updated on October 9, 2026