How to Add an Author Box in WordPress Posts

Adding an author box to your WordPress posts is a great way to introduce the person behind the content, provide more information about them, and encourage engagement. It can also help build trust with your audience, especially if you’re running a multi-author blog.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to add an author box in WordPress posts in a few easy steps.

---

Why Should You Add an Author Box to Your WordPress Posts?

Before we get into the how-to, let’s go over a few reasons why having an author box is a good idea:

1. Builds Credibility: Visitors can learn more about the author, their expertise, and other content they’ve written, which can build trust.
2. Encourages Engagement: Including an author bio allows readers to connect with the author through social media or other platforms, fostering better engagement.
3. Improves SEO: When you add an author bio with relevant keywords and links to their other posts, it can positively affect SEO.
4. Humanizes Your Content: An author box gives a personal touch to your posts, making your content feel more relatable and approachable.

---

How to Add an Author Box in WordPress

There are several ways to add an author box to your WordPress posts, depending on whether you prefer using a plugin or customizing your theme files manually. Let’s go over both methods.

---

Method 1: Using a Plugin (For Beginners)

For beginners or those who don’t want to touch any code, using a plugin is the easiest way to add an author box. Plugins usually offer customization options like design and positioning, making it super simple to add an author box to your posts.

Popular Plugins to Add Author Boxes:

1. WP Author Box:
   • This plugin allows you to easily add an author bio box with customizable settings.
2. Simple Author Box:
   • A straightforward plugin that adds a clean and simple author box to the bottom of your posts.
3. Yoast SEO (Premium):
   • Although Yoast SEO is mainly an SEO plugin, its premium version includes a feature that lets you display the author box.

Steps to Add an Author Box Using a Plugin:

1. Install and Activate the Plugin:
   • From your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New.
   • Search for an author box plugin like Simple Author Box or WP Author Box.
   • Click Install Now, and once installed, click Activate.
2. Configure the Plugin Settings:
   • After activation, go to the plugin settings (usually under Settings or a new menu item in the WordPress dashboard).
   • Customize the author box settings, such as:
     • Choosing the position (top or bottom of the post).
     • Enabling the author’s social media profiles (e.g., Twitter, LinkedIn).
     • Customizing the design (e.g., background color, font style).
     • Enabling the author’s avatar.
3. Save Your Changes:
   • Once you’ve made the desired customizations, save your changes.
   • The author box should now automatically appear at the bottom of your posts.

---

Method 2: Manually Adding an Author Box via Theme Files (For Intermediate to Advanced Users)

If you prefer to have full control over the design and functionality, you can add the author box manually by editing your theme’s files. This method is recommended if you’re comfortable with HTML, CSS, and PHP.

Steps to Manually Add an Author Box:

1. Access Theme Files:
   • From your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance > Theme Editor.
   • Find and open the single.php or content-single.php file, depending on where you want the author box to appear.
2. Add Author Box Code:
   • Inside the single.php file, you’ll want to place the author box code after the post content. Typically, this goes inside the <div> that wraps the post content.
   Here’s an example of basic code to add an author
   <?php
if (get_the_author_meta('description')) :
?>
<div class="author-box">
<div class="author-avatar">
<?php echo get_avatar(get_the_author_meta('ID'), 100); ?>
</div> <div class="author-info"> <h3>About the Author:
<?php the_author();
?>
</h3> <p><?php the_author_meta('description'); ?></p>
<p><a href="<?php echo get_author_posts_url(get_the_author_meta('ID'));
?>">View all posts by
<?php the_author();
?></a></p> </div> </div> <?php endif;
?>
   • This code checks if the author has a bio (description) and then displays the author’s avatar, name, bio, and a link to their other posts.
3. Style the Author Box:
   • To make the author box look more visually appealing, you can add custom styles in your theme’s style.css file or via the Customizer under Appearance > Customize > Additional CSS.
   Here’s an example of basic CSS to style the author
   .author-box {
display: flex;
margin-top: 30px;
padding: 20px;
background-color: #f9f9f9;
border-radius: 8px;
}
.author-avatar {
margin-right: 20px;
}
.author-avatar img
{ border-radius: 50%;
}
.author-info h3
{ margin-bottom: 10px;
}
.author-info a {
color: #0073aa;
}
.author-info a:hover{
color: #005177;
}
4. Save and Test:
   • Once you’ve added the code and styled the author box, save your changes.
   • Visit a post on your website to ensure the author box is displaying correctly.

---

Method 3: Using a Theme That Supports Author Boxes (For Beginners to Advanced Users)

Some WordPress themes come with built-in support for author boxes, which makes it even easier to add one to your posts.

Steps to Add an Author Box Using a Built-in Theme Feature:

1. Choose a Theme with Author Box Support:
   • If you haven’t already, choose a WordPress theme that includes built-in author box functionality. Popular themes like Divi, Astra, and GeneratePress often have this feature.
2. Activate the Author Box Feature:
   • Go to Appearance > Customize.
   • Look for a section called Post Settings or Author Box (the exact name varies by theme).
   • Enable the author box option and customize any additional settings, such as social media links and layout.
3. Save and Preview:
   • Once you’ve enabled and customized the author box, save your settings and preview the post to ensure the author box appears as expected.

---

Best Practices for Creating an Author Box

1. Include a Brief Author Bio:
   • The bio should be concise but informative, highlighting the author’s expertise or background. It should give readers a reason to trust the content.
2. Add Social Media Links:
   • Include links to the author’s social media profiles (Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.) so readers can follow them for more updates.
3. Use a Professional Avatar:
   • Ensure the author’s avatar is clear, professional, and properly sized. Most WordPress themes automatically pull avatars from Gravatar, but you can upload custom avatars if needed.
4. Make the Design Clean and Simple:
   • The author box should stand out but not overwhelm the content. Keep the design clean, minimal, and in line with your site’s overall style.
5. Link to Other Posts by the Author:
   • Include a link to the author’s archive page or showcase their other posts to help readers discover more of their work.