WordPress, a powerful content management system, offers a variety of user roles, each with its own set of capabilities. In this article, we’ll delve into the ‘Author’ role, exploring its functions, benefits, and how to manage it effectively.
What Does an Author Do in WordPress?
In WordPress, an ‘Author’ is a registered user who can create, edit, and publish their own content. However, they can’t alter the website’s settings or modify posts written by other users. This role is especially useful when you have multiple contributors and need to maintain control over your website’s settings while allowing others to generate content.
User Roles in WordPress
WordPress offers five default user roles:
- Administrator
- Editor
- Author
- Contributor
- Subscriber
Each role comes with a set of capabilities that define what a user can and can’t do on your website. For instance, while an ‘Author’ can write, edit, and publish their own posts, they can’t create new categories or moderate comments.
Managing Multiple Authors in WordPress
As your website grows, you may need to add more authors. Managing multiple authors can be challenging, but an effective editorial workflow can streamline the process. To add a new author, navigate to Users » Add New and select ‘Author’ from the ‘Role’ drop-down menu.
Customizing the Author Role in WordPress
While the default user roles in WordPress are suitable for most websites, you might need to customize them to meet your specific needs. For instance, you might want to restrict authors to their own posts or prevent them from deleting their published posts. This can be achieved by following our guide on how to add or remove capabilities to user roles in WordPress.
Displaying Author Information in WordPress
Providing additional information about your authors can enhance their credibility and create a connection between your readers and authors. Here are some ways to do this:
- Add author photos instead of using their gravatars.
- Include an author bio box.
- Display the author’s social media profiles.
- Show a list of all authors in the sidebar or about page.
Key Differences Between Author, Editor, and Contributor
While ‘Authors’ can write, edit, and publish their own posts, ‘Editors’ have more capabilities. They can edit, publish, and delete any posts on the site, including those written by others. ‘Contributors,’ on the other hand, can create posts but can’t publish them or upload files.
Running a Multi-Author WordPress Blog
Running a multi-author blog requires careful planning and monitoring. Our step-by-step guide on improving your editorial workflow in multi-author WordPress blogs can help you manage this process effectively.
Tracking Author Performance in WordPress
Once you have multiple authors, it’s helpful to track their performance. You can determine which authors write the most popular posts and offer extra assistance to those who need it. Refer to our guide on how to enable author tracking in WordPress for more information.
Changing a Post’s Author in WordPress
Sometimes, you may need to assign a post to a different author. Our guide on how to change the author of a post in WordPress can help you with this process.
Wrapping Up
In conclusion, understanding and managing the ‘Author’ role in WordPress is crucial for the smooth operation of your website, especially if you have multiple content creators. We hope this article has provided valuable insights into the ‘Author’ role and how to manage it effectively.