Change author name in WordPress can be essential for various reasons, such as rebranding, correcting typos, or transferring content to another author. Whatever your reason, WordPress makes it relatively simple to update the author’s name. In this step-by-step guide, we will walk you through several methods to change the author’s name in WordPress, ensuring you have all the information needed to make the switch smoothly.
Method 1 – Change Author Name via User Profile

- Log In to Your WordPress Admin Dashboard:
- Navigate to your WordPress login page (typically yourdomain.com/wp-admin) and enter your credentials.
- Access the User Profile:
- Once logged in, hover over the “Users” menu item on the left-hand side and click on “All Users”.
- From the list of users, find the author whose name you want to change and click on their username to edit their profile.
- Edit the Profile Information:
- In the user profile editing screen, scroll down to the “Name” section. Here, you can change the user’s “First Name”. “Last Name”. and “Nickname”.
- You will also see a dropdown labeled “Display name publicly as”, Select the desired display name from the dropdown. This name will be shown as the author’s name on your posts.
- Save Changes:
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the “Update Profile” button to save your changes.
Method 2 – Changing the Author Name via Quick Edit

- Log In to Your WordPress Admin Dashboard:
- As in the previous method, log into your WordPress admin area.
- Navigate to the Post Section:
- On the left hand side, hover over “Posts” and click on “All Posts”.
- Use Quick Edit:
- Find the post for which you want to change the author. Hover over the post title and click on the “Quick Edit” link.
- In the Quick Edit options, you will see a dropdown menu labeled “Author”. Select the new author from the dropdown list.
- Update the Post:
- Click the “Update” button to save your changes.

Method 3 – Changing the Author Name via Bulk Edit
If you need to change the author for multiple posts at once, bulk editing can save you a lot of time.
- Log in to Your WordPress Admin Dashboard:
- Log into your WordPress admin area as described previously.
- Navigate to the Post Section:
- Hover over “Posts” and click on “All Posts”
- Select Multiple Posts:
- Check the boxes next to the posts you want to edit. If you want to select all posts on the page, check the box at the top of the list.
- Choose Bulk Actions:
- At the top of the list, select “Edit” from the “Bulk Actions” dropdown menu, and then click the “Apply” button.
- Change the Author:
- In the bulk edit area, find the “Author” dropdown menu and select the new author.
- Update the Posts:
- Click the “Update” button to save your changes.
Method 4 – Using a Plugin
For more complex author management, you might want to use a plugin. Once popular plugin is “PublishPress Authors”.
- Install the Plugin:
- From your WordPress dashboard, go to “Plugins” and click “Add New”.
- Search for “PublishPress Authors”, install it, and activate the plugin
- Configure the Plugin:
- Once activated, follow the plugin’s instructions to set up and configure multiple authors or change author names.
- Assign Authors to Posts:
- Use the plugin’s features to assign different authors to posts, either individually or in bulk, according to the plugin’s guidelines.
Best Practices for Changing Author Names
- Backup Your Site: Always back up your site before making significant changes. This ensures you can restore your site if anything’s goes wrong.
- Check Permissions: Ensure that the user role of the new author has the appropriate permissions to manage post.
- Consistency: Maintain consistency in author names to avoid confusion among your readers.
Changing the author’s name in WordPress is a straightforward process that can b accomplished in several ways. Whether you prefer using the build-in user profile options, quick edit, bulk edit or a plugin, WordPress offers flexible solutions to suit your needs. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can efficiently manage author names on your site and ensure your content is correctly attributed.