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WP Post Author – Author Box, Multiple Authors, Guest Authors & Custom Avatars

4.2 (22 reviews)
· 10K+ active installs · By AF themes
Active Installs
10K+
Rating
4.2 / 5
Version
v3.10.0
Last Updated
Jun 2026
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Plugin Review

AI-Researched

What is WP Post Author?

WP Post Author is a WordPress plugin that gives site owners full control over author displays, co-author assignments, and guest profiles. Developed by AF themes, it has been available for 8 years. The plugin currently shows 10K+ active installs and holds a 4.2/5 rating from 22 reviews. Of those ratings, 77% are 7% are one-star. The current stable version is 3.10.0, last updated on Jun 18, 2026.

This tool solves the problem of relying on Gravatar for profile images. It also removes the need to create dummy user accounts for guest writers. For editors managing a multi-author site, the plugin offers a dedicated way to handle how to add multiple authors in WordPress without cluttering the user database.

Key Features of WP Post Author

  • Customizable Author Box – Display a professional author box with control over layout, alignment, and shape. The box can auto-append after post content for consistent branding.
  • Local Avatars via Media Library – Upload custom profile images directly. This bypasses Gravatar to improve site performance and meet GDPR privacy requirements.
  • Multiple Authors (Co-Authors) – Assign several registered users to a single post directly from the editor. This is the core tool for any site searching for a multiple authors WordPress solution.
  • Guest Authors Without Accounts – Create unlimited guest profiles with custom bios and social links. No WordPress user account is needed, making it simple to add guest author WordPress entries for external contributors.
  • Post Rating System – Let logged-in users rate content to increase engagement. Ratings can be enabled site-wide or on a per-post basis.
  • Registration & Login Form Builder – Build visual login and registration forms without writing code. This helps manage user submissions directly from the front end.
  • Gutenberg Block & Shortcode Support – Place the author box anywhere using the built-in block, widget, or the [wp-post-author] shortcode.
  • Recommended Posts – Boost engagement by displaying related or top-rated content from the same author.

Who Should Use WP Post Author?

This plugin is built for multi-author blogs, news portals, magazines, and editorial teams. It suits users at any skill level, from beginners who want a simple author bio to advanced editors managing a large contributor network. If you run a site with 10 or more writers, the co-author and guest author features save significant administrative overhead.

For site owners looking for the best author bio plugin WordPress has available, WP Post Author offers a complete package without requiring a separate membership or avatar plugin. The post rating system also helps content teams identify top-performing writers. With 10K+ active installs, it is a proven choice for scaling editorial workflows.

Installation & Setup

Installation is beginner-friendly. Download the plugin or install it directly from the WordPress admin interface. After activation, the blocks, widgets, and shortcode [wp-post-author] become available immediately. For configuration, navigate to the WP Post Author admin menu to adjust display settings, enable local avatars, or set up registration forms. No coding knowledge is required to get started.

Support & Community

Support data from the last 2 months shows 0 open threads and 0 resolved threads, indicating a 0% resolution rate during that period. This is a notable gap for a plugin with 10K+ users. The rating breakdown reveals a split between satisfied users (77% five-star) and a significant dissatisfied group (18% one-star).

Potential buyers should test the free version thoroughly on a staging site before committing. The plugin offers a live demo, documentation, and video tutorials to help with common setup tasks. For critical production sites, the current support metrics suggest that issues may need to be solved through community forums or self-guided troubleshooting rather than developer response.

Pros & Cons

What's Good
  • With 10K+ active installs and a 4.2/5 rating from 22 ratings, it is a trusted solution for multi-author sites.
  • 77% of its 22 ratings are 5-star, indicating strong user satisfaction for core features like co-author assignments and guest author management.
  • The built-in local avatar system bypasses Gravatar, improving site performance and GDPR compliance by hosting images directly in the Media Library.
  • It includes a visual login and registration form builder, eliminating the need for a separate plugin for user management.
  • The plugin auto-appends a customizable author bio box after post content, ensuring consistent branding without manual code edits.
Drawbacks
  • 18% of its 22 ratings are 1-star, suggesting notable issues with stability or support for a significant minority of users.
  • There are 0 support threads resolved out of 0 total, which may indicate that free users receive no public forum assistance.
  • The plugin’s PRO features, such as interactive profile tabs and advanced typography controls, require a paid upgrade, limiting customization for free users.

Technical Details

Requires WordPress
3.0+
Tested up to WP
7.0.1
First Released
2018 (8+ years)
Support (last 2 months)
0 threads

Feature Tags

author-bio author-box custom-avatars guest-author local-avatars

Frequently Asked Questions