Skip to content

Free WordPress Tutorials For Non-Techies – WPCompendium.org

Learn How To Build A WordPress Website Without Coding Skills – Hundreds Of FREE Step-By-Step Tutorials!

  • Home
    • Quick Start
    • Testimonials
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
  • Website Planning
  • WordPress Overview
  • WordPress Installation
  • WordPress Configuration
  • How To Use WordPress
  • WordPress Plugins
  • WordPress Customization
  • WordPress Management
  • WordPress Optimization
  • WordPress Security
  • WordPress Strategies
  • WordPress Guides
  • Latest Posts & Tutorials
  • WordPress Tutorials Index

Home » WordPress User Profile

Tag: WordPress User Profile

How To Change Post Authors In WordPress

Learn how to change post authors in WordPress …

How To Change Post Authors In WordPress

Post AuthorIn this tutorial, you will learn how posts are assigned to users in WordPress, how to change post authorship, the reasons why you may need to do this, and various methods for reassigning posts to other authors on your site.

Why Change Post Authors?

In the course of managing your website or blog, there may be instances where you may need to reassign one or more posts to different authors.

For example:

  • The name associated with published posts changes. This commonly happens where the assigned author’s name is something like admin, guest author, editor, etc.
  • Your business employs content writers to publish posts and reply to users’ comments on behalf of your company or department. A staff writer leaves and is no longer available to reply to comments, etc. so you decide to reassign their posts to another team member or staff writer.
  • You import posts written by ghostwriters, freelancers, or outsourced article writers into your site to be published under your name or another user’s name.
  • You remove or delete an author from your site and need to transfer their content and its authorship to another user.

Whatever your reasons are for reassigning posts on your site from one author to another, the tutorial below will show you how to easily do this.

How Posts Are Assigned To Users

WordPress comes with a number of default user roles. Some user roles do not have the capabilities of authoring posts on your site.

WordPress User Roles
Some user roles cannot author posts on your site.

For a user to be able to create and publish their own posts, the minimum user level they should be given is the role of Author.

You can add new authors to WordPress in the Users screen (Users > Add New).

WordPress Users  screen - List of users assigned the role of Author
WordPress Users  screen – List of users assigned the role of Author

To learn more about user roles and capabilities, see this tutorial: How To Manage WordPress Users

When a user with post creating and publishing capabilities logs into your WordPress site and creates a new post, they are automatically assigned the authorship of that post.

Post Author
WordPress normally assigns authorship of a post to the user that created it.

If you need help creating posts in WordPress, see this tutorial: How To Create A Post In WordPress

Changing Post Authors In WordPress – Different Methods

As explained earlier, there may be reasons for reassigning a post created by one user to another author.

In this section, you will learn how to change post authors in WordPress using the following methods:

  • Keep the same post author but change the ‘published by’ display name.
  • Change authorship of single posts using the Post Editor screen.
  • Change authorship of single posts using the Quick Edit feature.
  • Change authorship of multiple posts using the Bulk Editor feature.
  • Assign posts to authors when importing content.
  • Transfer posts from deleted users to another author.

Let’s go through each of these methods.

How To Keep The Same Post Author But Change The ‘Published By’ Display Name

Note: this method will change the author name displayed on all of your posts.

Let’s say that you’ve authored a number of posts on your site and decide to change the name displayed on your site for your user account. You may want to do this because:

  • You were initially set up with a display name like admin or editor, and you want your published posts to display your real name.
  • You want to publish posts under an alias (i.e. a pen name).
  • You decide to change your display name.

So, for example, let’s say that all of your published posts look like the screenshot below, where the author is assigned as admin…

WordPress Table of Posts - Post Author column highlighted
WordPress Table of Posts – Post Author

Now, let’s say that you would like to change your post author name to reflect your position or job title, e.g. Business Editor…

WordPress Table of Posts - Post Author column highlighted
Maybe you want all of your posts to be published under your job title.

Or maybe you just want all of your published posts to display under your real name or an alias, like this…

WordPress Table of Posts - Post Author column highlighted
Or maybe you want to change all of your posts to your real name or an alias.

To change how the author name displays on all the posts you have authored, all you have to do is change your nickname (your public display name) in your User Profile.

You can  access your Profile screen in a number of ways:

#1 – You can log into your WordPress Admin section and click on Users > All Users.

WordPress Users Menu - All Users
WordPress Users Menu – All Users

Next, hover over your username and click Edit.

Username - Edit link
Click the Edit link under your username.

#2 – You can also click on Users > Profile in your WordPress Admin area.

WordPress Users Menu - Profile
WordPress Users Menu – Profile

#3 – You can also click on the ‘Howdy, Your Site Name’ tab on the top right-hand corner of your administration screen and select Edit Profile from the dropdown menu

WordPress toolbar: Howdy, Your Site Name - Edit Profile
Select Edit Profile.

All of the above methods will bring you to the Profile screen.

WordPress User Profile screen.
WordPress User Profile screen.

In the Profile screen,change the name in the Nickname field to whatever name you would like to display as your new post author name (1) and select the new nickname you’ve just created from the drop-down menu in the Display name publicly as field (2).

WordPress Profile screen: Name section
Select a new nickname.

Remember to click the ‘Update Profile’ button to save your new settings.

WordPress Profile screen - Update Profile button.
Save your settings.

Your profile will update with your new nickname.

Profile updated confirmation message.
Your new profile changes have been updated.

To learn more about editing your user profile, see this tutorial: How To Edit Your WordPress User Profile

Once you have updated the nickname in your profile, go back to the Table of Posts and you should see that all of the posts you have authored are now listed under your new nickname.

WordPress Table of Posts -Author column highlighted.
The posts you have authored now display under your new nickname.

tip

Tip: Usernames cannot be easily changed in WordPress, so we recommend using this method to change the name associated with your posts if you were originally assigned a username like admin.

User Profile - Name section with Username field highlighted.
Usernames cannot be easily changed in WordPress.

To learn how to change your username in WordPress, go here: How To Change The Admin Username In WordPress

How To Change Authorship Of Single Posts Using The Post Editor Screen

If you plan to allow multiple users to publish content on your WordPress site, then you can assign post authorship to other users as follows:

First, make sure that whoever you intend to assign posts to as the new author:

  • Is a registered site user,
  • Has a User Profile already set up, and
  • Has been assigned a role higher than Subscriber (e.g. Contributor, Author, Editor, Administrator, etc).
WordPress User Roles
Make sure the user has been assigned a role higher than Subscriber.

How To Make Bulk Changes To Post Authors

In your Posts screen,  locate the author name of the posts you plan to make changes to and click on it.

WordPress Table of Posts - Author column.
Click on the author name.

This will bring up a filtered list of all the posts assigned to that author.

Table of Posts displaying list of posts filtered by Author.
List of posts filtered by Author.

Select all the posts you would like to assign to a different author from the Table of Posts, either by ticking the checkbox next to individual post entries or by clicking the  main checkbox on the column header to select all items at once.

WordPress Table of Posts - Post selection check box
Select all the posts you would like to assign to another author.

Select ‘Edit’ from the Bulk Actions dropdown menu (1) and click the ‘Apply’ button (2).

Table of Posts -  Bulk Actions menu
Select Edit then click apply to bulk edit posts.

The Bulk Edit feature will expand and display various inline post editing options.

Locate the Author section.

Table of Posts: Bulk Edit feature - Author settings
Locate the Author section.

Next, select the author you would like to assign the selected posts to (1), then click the ‘Update’ button to save your new settings (2).

Making bulk post author changes
This will change the author of all selected posts.

tip

If you cannot find the user that you want to assign as the new post author in the dropdown menu, then make sure that you have assigned a user role for that person higher than Subscriber.

The new post author’s name should now display for all the posts you have selected and edited.

Bulk changing post authors.
Post author changed on multiple posts.

How To Change Authors On Single Posts In WordPress

To change post authorship for a single post, select the entry from your Table of Posts and click on Quick Edit.

Quick Edit
Click on Quick Edit to change the current post author.

The inline editor expands to display all of the options for editing your post. Select a new post author from the Author dropdown menu and click the ‘Update’ button to save your new settings.

Quick Edit: Post editing options - Author dropdown menu.
Select a new post author from the dropdown menu.

The new post author’s name should  display for the post you have selected and edited.

Post entry.
This post has a new author.

You can also change  post authors in WordPress while creating or editing posts by scrolling down to the bottom of your Post editor screen and selecting a different author from the users listed in the Author dropdown menu.

Post Editor screen - Author box
You can change post authors while creating or editing posts in the Post editor screen.

Your selected user will be assigned authorship of this post. Remember to save or publish to update your settings.

Post author dropdown menu - animated image.
Selecting a new post author in the Post Editor screen is easy.

tip

Tip: If you cannot see the Author box below your post editor area, click on the Screen Options tab in the top right-hand corner of the “Edit Post” screen.

Screen Options tab
Click on the Screen Options tab if you can’t see the Author box below your post editor area.

Check the Boxes > Author checkbox to enable the Author Box.

Screen Options tab: Boxes - Author box
Tick the Author box to display it on your Post editor.

The Author box should now display below the content area.

Author box
Author box

If you need help with this section, see the following tutorials:

  • How To Use The WordPress Quick Edit Feature
  • How To Create A Post In WordPress
  • How To Edit and Delete Posts In WordPress
  • How To Use The WordPress Screen Options Tab

How To Assign Posts To Another User When Importing Content From An XML File

WordPress has a built-in import/export feature in the Tools menu section that lets you import posts exported from another WordPress site, or from a special content file (called a WordPress XML file).

This is useful if you plan to employ content writers (e.g. freelance article writers) but don’t want to give them access to your site.

Writers can create content on a WordPress site of their own, then export an XML file with the content already formatted for WordPress.

You then simply import this file into your own WordPress site, assign it to one of your users, and publish the post as your own.

WordPress gives you a couple of options when importing a WordPress XML file:

  • Import the content and assign it to a new user (you will create the new users on the spot)
  • Import the content and assign it to an existing user.
WordPress Import feature
Import content from other WordPress sites as a WordPress XML file and assign a user of your choice.

For more details on how to import and export content from WordPress, see this tutorial: How To Use The WordPress Tools Menu

How To Assign Posts From A Deleted User To Another User

If you delete users from your site (e.g. ex-staff members who no longer work in your business), what happens to their posts?

Users - Delete
What happens to a user’s posts when the user is deleted?

WordPress asks you what to do with the content owned by the user. You can delete the content or attribute (assign) it to another user.

To assign all content from the user you are about to delete from your site to another user, select the Attribute all content to: radio button and choose a new author from the dropdown menu.

WordPress Users - Delete Users screen
Before deleting a user from your site, WordPress lets you select another user to assign their content to.

Click the Confirm Deletion button.

WordPress Users: Delete Users screen - Confirm Deletion button
Click the button to delete the old user and attribute all of their content to the new user you have selected.

All post content from the deleted user will be transferred to the selected user. They will now be assigned as that content’s author.

WordPress User screen - User deleted confirmation notice.
User deleted confirmation notice.

Congratulations! Now you know how to change post authors in WordPress.

How To Change Post Authors In WordPress
How To Change Post Authors In WordPress

***

"Wow! I never knew there's so much to learn about WordPress! I bought one of the WordPress for Dummies three years ago, such authors need to be on this course!" - Rich Law, Create A Blog Now

***

We are not affiliated, associated, sponsored, or endorsed by WordPress or its parent company Automattic. This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

Author WP CompendiumPosted on May 5, 2016July 11, 2021Categories Create Posts, WordPress Basics, WordPress Training ManualTags Post Author, WordPress User Profile, Edit Post Author, Change WordPress Post Author, WP Post Author

Our WordPress Users …

"These tutorials have so much information and are easy to understand. If you use WordPress or plan to in the future these will help you with everything you need to know." - Valisa (Mesa, Arizona)


WPCompendium.org - Learn How To Use A WordPress Blog!

The Complete Step-By-Step WordPress User Manual

(Play video to see content sample)

The most comprehensive, detailed, and up-to-date step-by-step tutorials on how to use your WordPress site (over 2,100+ pages)!

More info: The Complete Step-By-Step WordPress User Manual

WordPress Tutorials

  • Website Planning Tutorials
  • WordPress Overview Tutorials
  • WordPress Installation Tutorials
  • WordPress Configuration Tutorials
  • WordPress How To Use Tutorials
  • WordPress Plugin Tutorials
  • WordPress Customization Tutorials
  • WordPress Management Tutorials
  • WordPress Optimization Tutorials
  • WordPress Security Tutorials
  • WordPress Business Strategy Tutorials
  • WordPress Training

WordPress Web Hosting

  • BlueHost
  • Hostgator
  • Hostinger
  • LiquidWeb
  • WPEngine
  • WPMU DEV
  • WPWebHost

WordPress Plugins

  • Add Google Maps To WP
  • Add Instagram Feed To WP
  • Amazon Store Builder
  • Content Views Pro
  • Thrive Leads Email Capture Forms
  • WP Legal Pages
  • WP Plugins Suite – 10Web
  • WP Rocket – WordPress Caching Plugin
  • WP Total Audit – Fix WordPress Errors
  • XAdapter eCommerce Extensions

WordPress Themes

  • Avada
  • Creative Market
  • Elegant Themes
  • InkThemes
  • Mojo Themes
  • MyThemeShop
  • SoloStream
  • StoreFront
  • StudioPress
  • Template Monster
  • Theme Forest
  • WPeka Themes

RSS WordPress Video Courses

  • Online Course Marketing
  • Content Marketing
  • WordPress Block Editor (Gutenberg)
  • Affiliate Marketing
  • WordPress Maintenance
  • Text-To-Speech Beginners Course
  • Podcasting
  • Email Marketing
  • How To Profit With PLR & Resell Rights Products
  • Business Funding Strategies
  • Twitter Marketing
  • Social Media Marketing
  • Outsourcing Digital Services
  • Online Advertising
  • Lead Generation

Recent Posts

  • Best WordPress A/B Testing Plugins (2023)
  • Group Block
  • How To Use WordPress Autosave And Post Revisions
  • How To Train Your Clients Remotely To Use Their WordPress Websites
  • Where To Get Thousands Of High Resolution Images With Transparent Backgrounds For Your Website
  • Klippyo – Create Highly Engaging Videos Optimized For Social Media
  • WaveNetVocalizer – Create Natural Sounding Video Voiceovers Without Spending Thousands Of Dollars!
  • Create Cartoon Explainer Videos Easily With Toonly
  • Affiliate Video Pro – Earn Affiliate $$$ From YouTube Videos
  • WordPress User Manual: How To Create A Post In WordPress
  • WordPress Gutenberg Content Editor Beginners & Non-Techies Tutorials Launched
  • Embed Block
  • Video Block
  • Verse Block
  • Table Block

Explore This Site

  • WordPress Gutenberg – The Ultimate Guide For Non-Techies
  • 101+ WordPress Tips, Tricks & Hacks For Non-Techies
  • New Users Start Here – WPCompendium.org Quick Start
  • How To Find Free WordPress Tutorials On WPCompendium.org
  • Ultimate WordPress User Guide For Beginners
  • Free Content Creation Course
  • Free WordPress Tutorials For Beginners
  • WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint
  • Index Of WordPress Tutorials
  • WordPress Overview Tutorials
  • Website Planning Tutorials
  • WordPress Installation Tutorials
  • WordPress Configuration Tutorials
  • How To Use WordPress Tutorials
  • WordPress Plugin Tutorials
  • WordPress Themes
  • WordPress Management Tutorials
  • WordPress Optimization Tutorials
  • WordPress Security Tutorials
  • WordPress Business Strategies
  • WordPress Guides
  • WordPress Training
  • Blog
  • News
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • WordPress Training Testimonials
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Content Submission Guidelines
  • Site Map
  • AMP Sitemap
  • Advertise On WPCompendium.org

WPCompendium.org News

WordPress Gutenberg - The Ultimate Guide For Non-Techies

WordPress Gutenberg Content Editor Beginners & Non-Techies Tutorials Launched
WordPress Beginners Installation Tutorials Plugin Customization Courses Launched

WordPress Beginners Installation Tutorials Plugin Customization Courses Launched
WPCompendium.org - Free WordPress Tutorials

WordPress Website Configuration Optimization Tutorials For Beginners Launched

RSS WPMasterclasses.com

  • Learn WordPress Video Courses Beginner-Friendly Digital Training Launched
  • Learn Digital Business Skills Video Training Courses Guide
  • WordPress Video Courses Non-Techies Digital Business Tutorials Site Launched
  • WordPress Video Courses And Digital Business Tutorials All Access Pass Launched
  • WPMasterclasses News & Updates – December 2018

Tags

  • Business Strategies
  • Free Themes
  • Free WordPress Themes
  • Grow Business Online
  • How To Use WordPress Themes
  • Improve UX
  • Improve Website
  • Learn WordPress
  • New WordPress Release 4.5
  • Plan WordPress Website
  • Plugins
  • Premium WP Themes
  • Repair Web Design
  • Web Design
  • Website Blueprint
  • Website Planning
  • Web Template WordPress
  • What Are Plugins
  • What Are WordPress Plugins
  • What Is A Plugin
  • What Is A Widget
  • What Is A WordPress Theme
  • Why Is WordPress Free
  • Why WordPress
  • Widgets
  • Widgets WP
  • wordpress
  • WordPress 4.5
  • WordPress 101
  • WordPress Benefits
  • WordPress CMS
  • WordPress Coleman
  • WordPress New Features 4.5
  • WordPress Overview
  • WordPress Plugin
  • WordPress Plugin Directory
  • WordPress Themes
  • WordPress Themes Directory
  • WordPress Tutorials
  • wordpress update
  • WordPress Web Design
  • WordPress Website Planning
  • WordPress Widgets
  • WP Plugins
  • WP Themes

WordPress Resources

  • Advertise on WPCompendium.org
  • Drive More Traffic To Your Website
  • External Content Guidelines
  • Free WordPress Plugins
  • Free WordPress Themes
  • WordPress User Manual

WordPress For Non-Techies Guide

  • WordPress For Non-Techies Author Page – Amazon
  • WordPress For Non-Techies – AU
  • WordPress For Non-Techies – BR
  • WordPress For Non-Techies – CA
  • WordPress For Non-Techies – DE
  • WordPress For Non-Techies – ES
  • WordPress For Non-Techies – FR
  • WordPress For Non-Techies – IN
  • WordPress For Non-Techies – IT
  • WordPress For Non-Techies – JP
  • WordPress For Non-Techies – MX
  • WordPress For Non-Techies – NL
  • WordPress For Non-Techies – UK
  • WordPress For Non-Techies – US

Legal Pages

  • WPCompendium.org – Legal Pages
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Antispam
  • Disclaimer
  • Earnings Disclaimer
  • FTC Statement
  • GDPR – Request Personal Data
  • Linking Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Testimonials Disclosure
  • Home
    • Quick Start
    • Testimonials
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
  • Website Planning
  • WordPress Overview
  • WordPress Installation
  • WordPress Configuration
  • How To Use WordPress
  • WordPress Plugins
  • WordPress Customization
  • WordPress Management
  • WordPress Optimization
  • WordPress Security
  • WordPress Strategies
  • WordPress Guides
  • Latest Posts & Tutorials
  • WordPress Tutorials Index
Free WordPress Tutorials For Non-Techies – WPCompendium.org Privacy Policy Proudly powered by WordPress
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT