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Meks Smart Author Widget

By Meks

Community & Social / Comments & Discussions

Meks Smart Author Widget Review - In-Depth Analysis

Display author or user profile info in a WordPress widget. Supports auto detection of post authors.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

7.01/10

User Rating

4.5/5 (based on 8+ reviews)

Active Installations

10,000+

Update Frequency

Below Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

5 / 10 (Medium Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

This plugin allows you to easily display author or user information inside a WordPress widget. It features an auto-detection capability that identifies the author of the current post, making it ideal for single post templates and specific author archives.

With flexible display options, you can customize the avatar size and choose to link the avatar image or user display name to the author archive. Additionally, you can replace the widget title with the user's display name if desired.

Smart Author Widget is developed by Meks and can enhance the user experience by providing relevant author information directly on your site.

Comparing to Alternatives

Meks Smart Author Widget is a straightforward author profile widget that stands out for its ease of use and configurability compared to other author box plugins.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Easy to configure and works well out of the box
Automatically detects the author based on posts published
Offers multiple widget options including avatar size and linking author name
Lightweight and focused on sidebar display

Weaknesses

Lacks advanced customization options found in some alternatives
Does not support guest authors or multiple authors per post
No built-in responsiveness in default setup
Limited control over where the widget appears

User Sentiment Analysis

User feedback highlights the plugin's reliability and ease of use, with some concerns about responsiveness and customization.

Positive highlights

'Works right like I was looking for' - hugoprout
'Works well out of the box and is easily configurable' - sublines
'Best plugin I could find for displaying an author profile in the sidebar' - jrcollins
'Lots of widget options and very cool automatic author detection' - JJNW
'Excellent plugin which works well on all devices' - naveenyouth

Common complaints

Not responsive out of the box
Lack of option to select 'none' for author display
Limited customization for author selection
No support for excluding admin on non-post pages

Weaknesses

Responsiveness issues reported by some users
Missing option to disable author display on certain pages
Limited flexibility in author selection dropdown

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users seeking a simple, easy-to-configure author widget to display author profiles in the sidebar without needing extensive customization or multiple author support.

Not ideal for

Those needing advanced author box features like guest authors, multiple authors per post, or fine-grained control over widget placement and responsiveness.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version provides a fully functional author widget with configurable avatar size, automatic author detection, and linking options suitable for most basic author profile needs.

Final Verdict

Meks Smart Author Widget is a reliable and user-friendly plugin that delivers essential author profile features with minimal setup. It excels in simplicity and automatic author detection, making it a great choice for users who want a straightforward author widget in their sidebar.

However, it lacks advanced customization and responsiveness out of the box, which may limit its appeal for users needing more control or modern design adaptability. Overall, it is a solid free option for basic author display needs.