OJS Email Not Sending: Why Authors & Reviewers Never Hear from You

OJS Email Not Sending: Why Authors & Reviewers Never Hear from You

Authors submit manuscripts and hear nothing. Reviewers don’t get assigned notifications. Editors wonder why no one is responding. In most cases, OJS is sending emails—but they’re never arriving. This silent failure can stall your entire editorial workflow without a single error message on screen.

What This Error Means #

OJS relies on your server’s mail configuration or an external SMTP service to deliver all system emails—submission confirmations, review assignments, editorial decisions, and more. When this breaks, OJS continues operating normally but email notifications disappear entirely or land in spam folders.

Common Causes #

• PHP mail() function disabled on the server (very common on shared hosting)
• SMTP credentials incorrect or outdated in config.inc.php
• No SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records configured for the domain—emails get spam-filtered
• Port 25 blocked by the hosting provider
• Incorrect default_email or envelope_sender in config causing rejection
• Gmail/Outlook SMTP blocking OJS due to “less secure app” policy changes
• Email queue stuck—emails queued but scheduled task not running

Quick Check #

Check your email settings in config.inc.php:

[email]
smtp = On
smtp_server = mail.yourdomain.com
smtp_port = 587
smtp_auth = On
smtp_username = [email protected]
smtp_password = yourpassword
allow_envelope_sender = Off
default_envelope_sender = [email protected]

Use OJS’s built-in test email (Admin → Site Settings → Bulk Emails) to send a test message. If it fails silently, the issue is at the server or SMTP level. Also verify that cron/tools/runScheduledTasks.php is running via a cron job—this processes the email queue.

Why This Error Is Serious #

• Workflow collapse: Reviewers and authors never receive notifications, stalling submissions indefinitely
• Author trust lost: Authors assume their submission failed or your journal is unprofessional
• Blind editorial process: Editors miss deadlines without automated reminders
• Reputation risk: Authors share bad experiences publicly, damaging your journal’s standing
• Spam blacklisting: If misconfigured emails do get sent, your domain may land on spam blacklists permanently

Emails Not Reaching Authors? Get It Fixed Before Your Next Issue #

We configure SMTP, fix DNS records, and ensure your journal’s notifications work reliably.

Fix Email Delivery →

Trusted by 200+ academic journals worldwide

Our Solution #

We audit your mail configuration end to end—SMTP setup, SPF/DKIM/DMARC DNS records, envelope sender settings, and cron job configuration. We switch journals away from unreliable PHP mail to properly authenticated SMTP, dramatically improving deliverability. For journals that have already been blacklisted, we handle domain reputation recovery as well.

Altechmind Technologies specializes in OJS configuration, migration, and troubleshooting. View all OJS services →