OJS 3.4 production checklist

Installing OJS is only the first step. Production readiness means authors, reviewers, and indexers can use your journal without broken email, missing metadata, or policy pages that exist only in the admin panel.

A. Server & security

• ✓PHP 8.1+ (8.2 recommended); memory limit ≥ 512MB for large PDFs
• ✓HTTPS only: valid SSL, force_ssl = On, HTTP redirects to HTTPS
• ✓Files directory outside public_html with correct permissions (not 777)
• ✓Automated backups: database + files daily; test restore quarterly (backup guide)
• ✓Admin accounts: strong passwords, 2FA where available, remove default test users

B. Core configuration

• ✓base_url matches live HTTPS domain exactly (no trailing slash mismatch)
• ✓Journal name, ISSN (online), publisher name, and contact email set under Settings → Context
• ✓Default language and supported locales configured; UI strings reviewed
• ✓Timezone set to editorial office location
• ✓SMTP email configured (not PHP mail()) — see SMTP troubleshooting

C. Editorial workflow

• ✓Workflow stages match your review model (blind/double-blind/open)
• ✓Roles & permissions: editors, section editors, reviewers, authors—least privilege
• ✓Submission checklist and required metadata fields enabled
• ✓ORCID plugin enabled if you collect iDs
• ✓Copyright & license prompts aligned with your OA policy

D. Public website & policies

• ✓About, aims & scope, editorial board, contact pages published
• ✓Open access policy, peer review policy, ethics policy, privacy policy live as HTML
• ✓Author guidelines with submission link and reference style
• ✓Theme tested on mobile; no broken menus or mixed HTTP content
• ✓Theme displays license and citation metadata on article pages

E. Article metadata & galleys

• ✓Every published article has abstract, keywords, authors + affiliations
• ✓PDF galley opens without login; file names are sensible
• ✓DOI plugin (Crossref/DataCite) configured if you assign DOIs; test resolution
• ✓Google Scholar indexing: clean URLs, no duplicate canonical issues
• ✓robots.txt allows article pages; sitemap submitted in Search Console

F. Indexing readiness (DOAJ & beyond)

Complete sections A–E, then use our DOAJ application guide for policy-specific requirements.

• ✓CC license visible on each article HTML page and PDF
• ✓At least one full issue published with consistent formatting
• ✓PKP PN or other preservation pathway documented for Seal applicants
• ✓Editor email and ISSN visible in header/footer

G. Go-live smoke test

1. Submit a test manuscript through the author interface
2. Assign a reviewer and confirm invitation email arrives
3. Publish a test article to an issue; verify public URL in incognito
4. Download PDF without logging in
5. Run backup; confirm dump file size is non-zero