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WordPress assigns one author by default. To show multiple bylines, install a co-author plugin such as Co-Authors Plus or PublishPress Authors, assign the contributors in the editor, and configure your theme or blocks to display those names on the published page. Author credit is separate from WordPress login permissions.
What you need to add multiple bylines
The default WordPress author field supports one author per post. A plugin adds the relationship between one post and several authors, including contributors who do not have WordPress accounts.
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- Co-Authors Plus: supports posts, pages and custom post types, existing users and guest-author profiles.
- PublishPress Authors: supports multiple authors, guest authors, author boxes, author pages and several display methods.
Neither option is established as a universal performance or quality winner. Choose according to account, archive and display requirements.
Option 1: Set up Co-Authors Plus
Install it safely
- Open the WordPress plugin directory or the Plugins area in your dashboard.
- Install and activate Co-Authors Plus.
- If the original Co-Authors plugin is installed, deactivate and remove it before using Co-Authors Plus; do not run both plugins together.
Assign contributors to a post
- Open the post in the editor.
- Use Co-Authors Plus’s search-as-you-type author control.
- Search for each contributor and add every required name. The same control works with posts, pages and supported custom post types.
- Update or publish the post, then view its public URL.
Add a writer without creating a login
Create a guest-author profile in Co-Authors Plus and assign it to the post. This gives the writer a byline without granting access to the WordPress dashboard.
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Make the bylines visible
Assigning authors and rendering them are separate steps. Co-Authors Plus documents blocks for the block editor and template tags for themes. Add the appropriate block or template code where the normal author name appears, then check the published page, archive and feed. A theme may otherwise continue to show only its standard single-author output.
Check capabilities
edit_others_postsis required to assign co-authors; this is commonly available to Editors.list_usersis required to create guest-author profiles; this is commonly available to Administrators.- Plugin filters can change these defaults, so a custom role may need an administrator to grant the relevant capability.
Option 2: Use PublishPress Authors
PublishPress Authors is an alternative when you need multiple authors plus author boxes or author pages. It supports guest authors with or without a connected account and can display author information through widgets, shortcodes, Gutenberg blocks or template files. It can replace the default author display or place author details below the content.
Install and activate the plugin, create or select the required author profiles, assign multiple authors while editing the post, and configure the chosen author-box or byline output. Verify the result on the public post because the exact controls and placement depend on the plugin version and theme.
Which plugin fits your site?
| Requirement | Co-Authors Plus | PublishPress Authors |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple bylines | Yes | Yes |
| Posts, pages and custom post types | Yes | Multiple authors are documented; exact post-type coverage depends on the configuration |
| Guest author without a login | Yes, through guest-author profiles | Yes, with or without a connected account |
| Author archives or pages | Co-author archives are documented | Author pages are documented |
| Display methods | Plugin blocks or theme template tags may be required | Widgets, shortcodes, Gutenberg blocks or template files |
| Premium profile fields | Not stated | PublishPress identifies a Pro version with premium custom author-profile fields |
Base the decision on whether writers need accounts, whether guest profiles and archives matter, the byline layout you want, and how much theme configuration your site can accommodate.
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Permissions and editorial behavior after assignment
Co-Authors Plus documents co-authored posts in co-author archives and feeds. Associated co-authors may edit those posts. WordPress’s normal role rules still apply: contributors can edit only unpublished posts under core behavior, while broader editing requires the relevant WordPress capability.
If a WordPress user is deleted, Co-Authors Plus removes that user from posts where they were a co-author. Reassign affected posts to another user or guest-author profile to restore the intended credit.
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Verification checklist
- Every intended contributor appears in the editor’s author field.
- The public post shows all names, not just the site’s default author.
- Author links lead to the intended archives or author pages.
- Guest authors display the correct name and profile information.
- Feeds, archive pages and any related post types show the same byline logic.
- Editors who need to assign names have
edit_others_posts; administrators handling guest profiles havelist_users.
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