Why WP Post Author Shows Wrong Name for Co-Authored Posts

You co-author posts with multiple writers. WP Post Author shows only one name. Second author is missing. That is frustrating because credit is not shared.

A common issue is that WordPress stores only one author per post by default. WP Post Author follows this. Co-authors need separate plugin. The plugin is not broken. WordPress single-author limit.

Why WP Post Author Shows Only One Author

WordPress posts have one author ID in database. This is by design. WP Post Author displays that single author. Co-authored posts are not natively supported. Both authors cannot be displayed without extra plugin.

This is not WP Post Author being bad. WordPress core has no co-author feature.

The Most Common Co-Author Problems

• Second author not in WordPress (guest writer)
• Co-authors added via custom field (plugin ignores)
• Post assigned to one author only (database limit)
• Co-author plugin not compatible with WP Post Author
• Theme overrides author display

Co-authors need special handling.

How to Show Multiple Authors for a Post

1. Install Co-Authors Plus plugin
2. Add multiple authors to each post
3. Check if WP Post Author supports Co-Authors Plus
4. If not, use Co-Authors Plus author template tags
5. Display authors manually in theme

if ( function_exists('coauthors') ) {
coauthors();
} else {
the_author();
}

This shows all co-authors.

How to Manually Show Multiple Authors

Add custom field “second_author” to post. In theme, display both authors:

and

Manual method works without plugin.

Alternative: Use Different Author Display Plugin

Try Author Box or Fancy Author. Some support co-authors better. Test compatibility with Co-Authors Plus.

Choose plugin that supports multiple authors.

People Also Ask About Author Display Problems

Why does my post show only one author when two people wrote it?

WordPress stores one author per post. Use Co-Authors Plus plugin.

Should I stop using WP Post Author?

Use Co-Authors Plus for multiple authors. WP Post Author works for single authors.

Is WP Post Author worse than Simple Author Box?

Both show single author only. Add Co-Authors Plus for multiple.

Final Thoughts

If WP Post Author shows wrong name for co-authored posts, install Co-Authors Plus. Display multiple authors using its template tags. All authors will receive credit.