How to Change Author on WordPress?

Change Author in WordPress quickly and keep your content properly attributed. Whether you are correcting a mistake, assigning a post to the right team member, or publishing on behalf of someone else, knowing how to do this ensures your site looks professional and stays accurate.

In this guide, we will show you exactly how to change author in WordPress using different methods, from the post editor to the dashboard’s user settings. By the end, you will be able to update author details with ease and keep your website consistent.

Why Would You Want to Change Author?

There are several real-world reasons you might need to assign a different author to a WordPress post:

• A ghostwriter or team member wrote the content.
• You want to credit guest contributors properly.
• You’ve hired a new content writer and want them listed.
• You’re migrating posts from an old user to a new one.
• You’re rebranding the voice behind your content.

No matter the reason, it’s good to know that changing the author on WordPress is totally doable and doesn’t require a developer.

Quick Tips Before You Begin

Here are a few things to keep in mind before changing authors:

• Make sure the new author exists as a user on your site.
• The user must have at least Author-level permissions to be selectable.
• Changing authors doesn’t affect the post content or URL.
• Backup your site before bulk changes, just in case.
• Update your author bios if you’re shifting content direction.

Ways to Change Author on WordPress

Method 1: Change the Author of a Single Post

This is the easiest way to change a post’s author manually.

Step-by-Step:

• Log in to your WordPress Dashboard.
• Go to Posts > All Posts.
• Hover over the post you want to edit and click Edit.
• In the post editor screen, find the “Author” box (usually in the right sidebar).
• Use the dropdown to select a different user.
• Click Update to save your changes.

If you don’t see the Author box, click the three-dot icon in the top-right corner → Preferences > Panels → and make sure “Author” is enabled.

Method 2: Bulk Change Author for Multiple Posts

If you’re reassigning lots of content (for example, after a staff change), bulk editing is a huge time-saver.

Here’s how:

• Go to Posts > All Posts.
• Use the checkboxes to select the posts you want to change.
• In the “Bulk Actions” dropdown above, choose Edit and click Apply.
• In the author dropdown, choose the new author.
• Click Update.

Boom! WordPress will update all selected posts with the new author.

Method 3: Change Author with a Plugin (For More Flexibility)

If you need to go beyond the basics, like display custom author boxes, add co-authors, or show authors by role, consider using a plugin.

Popular Options:

• Co-Authors Plus – Add multiple authors to a single post.
• Simple Author Box – Display author bios with avatars and links.
• WP Author Change – Quickly switch authors without editing posts.

These are great if you’re running a multi-author blog or need to fine-tune author visibility and attribution.

What Happens When You Change the Author?

This is a common question. Here’s the reassurance:

• The post content stays exactly the same.
• The URL does not change unless you’ve included the author slug in the permalink structure.
• The new author’s name will now appear on the frontend wherever your theme displays it.
• Any author-specific widgets or filters will reflect the new author immediately.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

Learning how to change author on WordPress gives you better control over content management, publishing accuracy, and team collaboration. Whether you’re handing off posts to new writers or giving proper credit where it’s due, you now have the knowledge to do it efficiently and confidently.

Just like any skill in WordPress, the more you explore it, the more empowered you become.

Keep learning, keep improving, and keep building a site you’re proud of.