The Manage Plugins action opens Joomla's Plugin Manager filtered for JEM plugins. It is a shortcut from the JEM control panel to the standard Joomla plugin management screen, where JEM-related plugins can be enabled, disabled, configured, checked, or reviewed.
JEM plugins are Joomla plugins. They are managed in Joomla's Plugin Manager, not in a separate JEM plugin editor.
Where to Find This Action
Open the Joomla administrator and go to Components → JEM. Click Manage Plugins in the JEM control panel.
If JEM plugins are installed, Joomla opens System → Manage → Plugins with the search filter set to jem. If no JEM plugin is found, JEM redirects to the Joomla installer and shows a notice.
When to Use Manage Plugins
Use this shortcut when you need to check whether a JEM plugin is installed, enabled, or configured correctly.
| Scenario | What to check | Why |
|---|
| Smart Search does not find JEM events |
Check the Finder - JEM plugin. |
JEM content must be indexed by the Finder plugin before it appears in Joomla Smart Search. |
| Notification emails are not sent |
Check the JEM Mailer plugin. |
Mailer notifications depend on the plugin being enabled and configured. |
| Article embed syntax does not render JEM output |
Check the content JEM Embed or List Events plugin. |
Content plugin output depends on plugin status, ordering, and syntax. |
| JEM dashboard shortcut is missing |
Check the Quick Icon - JEM plugin. |
The Joomla dashboard icon depends on the quick icon plugin. |
| Comments integration is expected |
Check the JEM Comments plugin and the external comments extension. |
The JEM plugin alone cannot provide comments if the target comments system is not available. |
JEM Plugins Included with the Package
The JEM package installs the official plugins listed below. Some may be disabled by default and should only be enabled when the site uses the related feature.
| Plugin | Plugin group | Use it for | Documentation |
|---|
| JEM List Events |
Content |
Lists JEM events inside Joomla articles or other content areas. |
List Events plugin |
| JEM Embed |
Content |
Embeds JEM event output in content through plugin syntax or controlled embed calls. |
Embed plugin |
| JEM |
Finder |
Indexes JEM events for Joomla Smart Search. |
Finder plugin |
| JEM Comments |
JEM |
Connects JEM with a supported comments system when available. |
Comments plugin |
| JEM Mailer |
JEM |
Sends notification emails for selected JEM registration, event, and venue changes. |
Mailer plugin |
| JEM |
Quick Icon |
Adds a JEM quick access icon to the Joomla administrator dashboard. |
Quick Icon plugin |
Enable or Disable a JEM Plugin
- Click Manage Plugins from the JEM control panel.
- Confirm that the Joomla plugin list is filtered by
jem.
- Open the plugin you want to change.
- Set Status to Enabled or Disabled.
- Review plugin-specific options.
- Save the plugin.
- Clear Joomla cache if the frontend or dashboard still shows old behaviour.
Enable only the plugins your site actually uses. Unneeded plugins add extra processing and can make troubleshooting harder.
Plugin Ordering
Some Joomla plugin groups use ordering. This is most important for content plugins, where multiple plugins may process the same article text.
- Check ordering if JEM content plugin syntax appears as raw text.
- Check ordering when another content plugin modifies or removes the same text.
- Keep content plugin ordering documented if the site depends on a specific sequence.
Mailer Plugin Notes
JEM can show a notice when an action expects email notifications but the Mailer plugin is not active. If notification emails are part of the site workflow, review the plugin carefully.
- Enable the JEM Mailer plugin.
- Review which actions should send emails.
- Check recipient settings, category recipients, JEM groups, and administrator addresses.
- Check Joomla mail configuration if the plugin is enabled but no email is delivered.
Finder Plugin Notes
Enabling the Finder - JEM plugin does not automatically rebuild the Joomla Smart Search index for existing content.
- Enable the Finder - JEM plugin.
- Open Joomla Smart Search indexing tools.
- Index or re-index content after enabling the plugin.
- Check event publication, access, language, dates, and categories if expected results are missing.
Recommended Checks After Updating JEM
After updating JEM, review plugins because new versions may add options, change language strings, or require a recheck of enabled integrations.
- Check that all required JEM plugins are still installed.
- Check that required plugins are enabled.
- Review plugin options after major updates.
- Rebuild Smart Search if Finder-related behaviour changed.
- Send a test notification if the Mailer plugin is used for event workflows.
Troubleshooting
Manage Plugins opens the Joomla installer
JEM did not find installed plugins with jem in their extension name. Reinstall the full JEM package if the official plugins should be present.
A plugin is installed but does not work
- Check that the plugin is enabled.
- Check the plugin group and ordering.
- Review plugin-specific options.
- Clear Joomla cache and browser cache.
- Check whether another extension is processing the same content or workflow.
JEM emails are not sent
- Enable the JEM Mailer plugin.
- Review Mailer plugin notification options.
- Check Joomla global mail settings.
- Check spam folders, mail logs, and hosting mail restrictions.
Smart Search does not show JEM events
- Enable the Finder - JEM plugin.
- Rebuild the Joomla Smart Search index.
- Check event publication state, access, language, and category visibility.
Related Project Notes
- #1552 is relevant to linking backend shortcuts and documentation more clearly during update and upgrade work.
- #2186 is useful after plugin-related changes because the Statistics panel helps verify backend content state.
Related Documentation
