Do you want to change the author of a post in WordPress?

Sometimes, you may need to change a post to a different author than the user who first uploaded it. You can do this without copying and pasting the post using a different account.

In this article, we will show you how to easily change the author of a post in WordPress with just a few clicks.

What to Do Before You Change the Author of a WordPress Post

If you just want to show your name on a post written by another user on your WordPress blog, then you are ready to follow the instructions in this article.

However, if you want to show a different user as the author, then you first need to make sure this user exists on your WordPress website.

For detailed instructions, see our beginner’s guide on how to add new users and authors in WordPress.

You can view and manage all the users on your WordPress site by visiting the Users menu item while logged in with your WordPress administrator account.

If you only want to change the way your name is displayed, then you can check out our guide on how to add or change your full name in WordPress.

Having said that, let’s look at how to quickly and easily change the author of a post in WordPress. There are a few ways to do this, so you can use the links below to jump to the method you want to use:

Method 1: How to Change the Author in the Block Editor

If you are using the Gutenberg block editor, then this method is for you.

First, you need to open up the WordPress page or post where you want to change the author’s name.

Once you are there, you must make sure that the ‘Post’ tab is selected in the right-hand sidebar. Next, find the ‘Author’ option in the ‘Summary’ section, where you will see a list of available authors to choose from.

From here, simply select the new author name from the dropdown menu.

Once you’ve done that, don’t forget to click the ‘Update’ or ‘Publish’ button to save your changes.

Method 2: How to Change the Author in the Classic Editor

If you are using the old classic WordPress editor, then you can use this method.

First, you have to open the post or page where you want to change the author’s name.

Once you are there, you may not see the author panel on the page because the screen element hasn’t been added to your classic editor yet.

To add the author’s panel, click on the Screen Options button in the top right corner of the screen. This will show you a menu with several options that you can choose to show or hide on your post-edit screen.

From here, go ahead and click on the checkbox next to the ‘Author’ option.

The author panel should now be visible on the screen under the visual editor.

From here, you can change the author’s name by opening up the dropdown menu under the ‘Author’ option.

Once you have chosen a new author, make sure you click the ‘Update’ or ‘Save Draft’ button to save your changes.

Method 3: How to Change the Author Using Quick Edit

If you want to change the WordPress post author quickly, then this method is for you. You won’t need to open the post editor for it.

First, you must visit the Posts » All Posts page from the WordPress dashboard.

From here, hover your mouse over the post you wish to change and then click the ‘Quick Edit’ link under it.

This will open up the Quick Edit tab on the screen.

From here, click on the current author’s name and select a new author from the dropdown menu.

After that, don’t forget to click the ‘Update’ button to save your changes.

Method 4: How to Change the Author of Multiple WordPress Posts

If you want to change the author of multiple posts simultaneously, then this method is for you.

To bulk update authors, you should first navigate to the Posts » All Posts page from the WordPress admin sidebar.

By default, WordPress shows 20 posts per page. If you want to display more posts, then you need to click on Screen Options and change the number of posts you want to display.

Next, you need to select the posts where you want to change the author.

After that, select the ‘Edit’ option from the ‘Bulk Actions’ dropdown menu and then click the ‘Apply’ button.

WordPress will now show you the Bulk Edit meta box.

From here, simply select the new author by clicking on the dropdown menu next to the ‘Author’ option.

Once you are done, don’t forget to click on the ‘Update’ button to save your changes.

Bonus: How to Optimize Your Author Profiles for SEO

Finally, you may want to optimize your author profile pages to improve your SEO rankings.

The author profile appears at the bottom of blog posts published under your name.

Here, you can add a brief bio, links, and even your social media profiles.

By showcasing your author bio, you can build more credibility and give your readers a chance to learn more about you and the authors on your site.

WordPress allows you to add a brief author bio, but to add social media links, you will need to use the All in One SEO plugin.

Aside from that, you can also use AIOSEO to optimize author pages, as it is the best SEO plugin for WordPress, used by over 3 million websites.

First, you need to install and activate the AIOSEO plugin. For more detailed instructions, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, simply navigate to the Users » Profile page from the WordPress admin sidebar. If you are not the administrator on the site, then you need to click the ‘Profile’ menu tab in the admin sidebar.

Once there, just switch to the ‘Social Profiles’ tab from the top of the page.

From here, you can now add links to your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles and create an author bio.

Once you have made the necessary changes, make sure you click the ‘Update Profile’ button to store your settings.

Users will now see your new author bio at the bottom of any post you publish or change to your name.

We hope this article helped you learn how to change the author of a post in WordPress. You may also want to see our beginner’s guide on how to choose the best domain registrar and our expert list of the best WordPress plugins to grow your site.

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