On this page
Start with \documentclass[review]{elsarticle}, set \journal{...}, and put the title, authors, affiliations, abstract and keywords inside \begin{frontmatter}...\end{frontmatter}. Class options pick the layout: review, preprint, 1p, 3p, 5p, authoryear and numbers are all declared in the class file. Check your journal's guide for which one it wants.
What elsarticle is
On CTAN, elsarticle is described as the class for typesetting articles submitted to Elsevier journals, accepted in Elsevier's electronic submission system and elsewhere. The page we read on November 3, 2026 listed version 3.5 (2026-01-09) under the LaTeX Project Public License 1.3. Recheck it before you start.
The frontmatter block
Everything the title page needs goes inside frontmatter: \title, one \author per person with an optional label, \affiliation, the abstract environment and \begin{keyword} with keywords separated by \sep. Add \journal{...} before \begin{document} to name the target journal.
Class options
The class file we compiled declares layout options preprint, review, final, 1p, 3p and 5p, plus authoryear, number and numbers for citation style. In that file review also sets 1.5 line spacing. Which option your journal wants is set in its author instructions, not by the class.
Citations and bibliography
The authoryear and numbers options set the natbib options the class passes along. Choose the style that matches the journal's reference format and keep the matching bibliography style.
A minimal file you can compile
\documentclass[review]{elsarticle}
\journal{Example Journal}
\begin{document}
\begin{frontmatter}
\title{A Minimal elsarticle Example}
\author[inst1]{Jane Smith}
\affiliation[inst1]{organization={Example University}, country={Country}}
\begin{abstract}
This is a short abstract.
\end{abstract}
\begin{keyword}
LaTeX \sep template
\end{keyword}
\end{frontmatter}
\section{Introduction}
This is body text in the \verb|review| format.
\end{document}We compiled this file as-is with Tectonic 0.17.0 on November 3, 2026, and inspected the rendered page. It shows the centred title, author with an affiliation mark, abstract and keywords between rules, a numbered section and a "Preprint submitted to Example Journal" footer with the date. We did not compile other options such as 1p, 3p or 5p, and we did not check any journal's own requirements.
FAQ
What is elsarticle?
CTAN describes it as the class for articles submitted to Elsevier journals, accepted both in Elsevier's electronic submission system and elsewhere. The CTAN page we read on November 3, 2026 listed version 3.5 dated 2026-01-09 and the LPPL 1.3 licence.
Which elsarticle option should I use?
It depends on the journal. The class file declares preprint, review, final, 1p, 3p and 5p, and authoryear, number and numbers for citations. In the file we compiled, review set 1.5 line spacing. Follow your journal's author instructions rather than a general rule.
How do I switch between author-year and numbered citations?
Add authoryear or numbers to the class options. The class file maps them to natbib options round,authoryear and numbers. Pair them with a bibliography style your journal accepts.
Why does my output say Preprint submitted to a journal?
The review and preprint options switch on preprint mode, which adds a footer from your \journal{...} line and the date. Our compiled page showed that footer. Use the final-style options if your journal wants a different layout.
Are there newer Elsevier classes?
The TUGboat article we read names cas-sc.cls and cas-dc.cls alongside elsarticle.cls as classes Elsevier recommends for submissions. Check your target journal's guide to see which it asks for.
Further reading
Companion guides in this series cover the ACM acmart template, the natbib author-year error, and Page X of Y. More how-tos are on the Bibby AI blog. Sources: elsarticle on CTAN and the TUGboat article on Elsarticle and CAS packages.
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Last updated: November 3, 2026. By the Bibby AI editorial team.