How to Change the Author on a WordPress Post

Changing the author of a WordPress post is a simple process that can be useful if you’re updating content ownership, managing guest posts, or transferring posts between team members. WordPress makes it easy to change the author of any post from within the admin dashboard.

Here’s how you can change the author of a post in WordPress:

Method 1: Changing the Author for a Single Post

Steps:

1. Log in to Your WordPress Dashboard:
   • Go to https://yourwebsite.com/wp-admin/ and log in with your admin credentials.
2. Navigate to the Posts Section:
   • In the dashboard, go to Posts > All Posts.
3. Select the Post to Edit:
   • Find the post for which you want to change the author. Hover over the post and click Edit.
4. Locate the Author Box:
   • In the Post Edit screen, scroll down until you see the Author meta box (usually located in the right-hand sidebar under Post Settings or in the “Document” tab of the block editor).
   • If you don’t see the Author box, click on the Screen Options button at the top right corner of the page and ensure that the Author checkbox is ticked.
5. Change the Author:
   • In the Author dropdown, select the user you want to assign as the new author of the post. You’ll see a list of all users with posting permissions (e.g., authors, editors, administrators).
6. Update the Post:
   • After selecting the new author, click the Update button to save your changes.

Method 2: Changing the Author for Multiple Posts (Bulk Edit)

If you need to change the author for multiple posts at once, you can use the bulk edit feature in WordPress.

Steps:

1. Log in to Your WordPress Dashboard:
   • Go to https://yourwebsite.com/wp-admin/ and log in.
2. Navigate to the Posts Section:
   • Go to Posts > All Posts.
3. Select the Posts to Edit:
   • Check the boxes next to the posts for which you want to change the author.
   • In the Bulk Actions dropdown at the top of the page, select Edit and then click Apply.
4. Change the Author:
   • A bulk edit screen will appear. Find the Author dropdown and select the new author from the list.
5. Update the Posts:
   • Click Update to apply the author change to all selected posts.

Method 3: Changing the Author in the Classic Editor

If you’re using the Classic Editor instead of the Block Editor, the process is similar but with a slightly different interface.

Steps:

1. Log in to Your Dashboard and navigate to Posts > All Posts.
2. Edit the Post you want to update.
3. Scroll Down to the Author section (usually below the content editor).
4. Select the New Author from the dropdown list and click Update.

If you don’t see the Author box, enable it by clicking on Screen Options at the top of the page and checking the Author box.

Things to Keep in Mind:

• User Roles: Only users with the correct permissions (Authors, Editors, or Administrators) can be selected as post authors.
• SEO Impact: Changing the author of a post can affect how the content is associated with certain keywords or rankings in search engines, especially if the original author has authority in the subject matter.
• Guest Posts: If you’re changing authorship to credit a guest writer, make sure to create a new user account for them with the correct role (usually set as “Contributor” or “Author”).

Conclusion

Changing the author of a post in WordPress is quick and easy, whether you’re adjusting one post or several. Using the post edit screen or bulk edit options, you can assign posts to new authors with just a few clicks. This feature is especially helpful for sites with multiple contributors or when managing guest posts.