The Custom Bylines feature gives you more flexibility in how the byline of a post is displayed.

Some common use cases include:

  • Displaying multiple contributors in a specific format
  • Crediting external authors or institutions that are not WordPress users
  • Providing more context about how a story was created (e.g., “Written by Ana, Photographs by Joe”)

How to set a custom byline

  1. Navigate to the post where you’d like to customize the byline.
  2. In the post editor sidebar, scroll down to the Byline section.
  3. Toggle on Enable Custom Byline.
  4. Click Edit byline to open the byline editor.
  5. In the dialog, enter your custom byline. You can use a combination of:
    • Freeform text (e.g., “Reported by”)
    • Author tags (e.g., “Ana Smith”) that will link to the author’s archive

Author tag logic

  • Only authors assigned to the post (using the standard Author field) will appear as tag options in the editor.
  • If you want a post to appear in someone’s author archive, they must be assigned to the post first. Adding their name in the byline editor alone won’t associate the post with their archive.
  • If a clickable link to the author archive isn’t necessary, feel free to use freeform text instead.
  • Even if you leave an author tag out of the visible byline, the post will still be associated with that author and appear in their archive.
  • Removing someone from the visible byline does not remove them from the post’s author list, you must remove them from the Author field to fully disassociate them from the post.

For Newspack Network

If your site is part of a Newspack Network, bylines are automatically mapped and displayed on the receiving site when a post is distributed:

  • When you distribute a post, Newspack automatically includes information about the authors (such as user IDs and emails) in the post’s metadata.
  • On the target site (where the post is distributed to), this information is used to ensure the Custom Byline points to the correct authors on that site.

FAQ

Do I have to use author tags?
No. Author tags are optional. They’re useful when you want to link to an author’s archive, but you can use plain text for guest contributors or other formats.

Can I include contributors who aren’t WordPress users?
Yes. Use freeform text in the editor (e.g., “Guest Essay by Jordan Michaels”).

Will my custom byline override the standard author line on the frontend?
Yes. If a custom byline is enabled and saved, it will replace the default author display on the post.

Can I remove an author from the post by deleting their tag from the byline?
No. You must also remove them from the Author field in the sidebar if you want to fully remove the association.