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Co-Authors Plus

By Automattic

User Management & Authentication / User Profiles & Avatars

Co-Authors Plus Review - In-Depth Analysis

Assign multiple bylines to posts, pages, and custom post types with a search-as-you-type input box.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.85/10

User Rating

3.5/5 (based on 77+ reviews)

Active Installations

20,000+

Update Frequency

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

Security Score

1 / 10 (Very Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

Assign multiple bylines to posts, pages, and custom post types via a search-as-you-type input box. Co-authored posts appear on a co-author's archive page and in their feed. Co-authors may edit the posts they are associated with, and co-authors who are contributors may only edit posts if they have not been published as is core behavior.

Add writers as bylines without creating WordPress user accounts. Simply create a guest author profile for the writer and assign the byline as you normally would.

On the frontend, use the Co-Authors Plus template tags to list co-authors anywhere you'd normally list the author.

For more detailed documentation refer to the GitHub Wiki for this plugin.

Co-Authors Plus is an almost complete rewrite of the Co-Authors plugin originally developed by Weston Ruter. The original plugin was inspired by the Multiple Authors plugin by Mark Jaquith.

Comparing to Alternatives

Co-Authors Plus stands out as a lightweight solution for managing multiple authors on WordPress posts, especially when compared to other plugins that tend to be more bloated.

Top alternatives

Co-Authors Plus

Strengths

Allows multiple authors per post with ease.
Integrates well with themes like Twenty Twenty-Three using shortcodes.
Simple and intuitive interface for adding and changing authors.
Lightweight compared to alternatives with excessive features.

Weaknesses

Requires developer knowledge to implement fully.
Lacks comprehensive user-friendly installation instructions.
Newly registered taxonomy is not public by default, limiting author post views.
Limited active maintenance and support.

User Sentiment Analysis

User feedback highlights both the plugin's usefulness and its areas needing improvement, particularly around support and ease of use.

Positive highlights

"Simple and intuitive for adding multiple authors" - vytecolombia
"Works well with Twenty Twenty-Three theme" - IdeFixx
"Preferred over bloated alternatives" - audunmb

Common complaints

Requires developer skills to set up properly.
Support is minimal and slow to respond.
Plugin can cause issues when removed, such as broken posts.
Some bugs remain unresolved for extended periods.

Weaknesses

Not beginner-friendly due to lack of clear instructions.
Support and maintenance are volunteer-based and inconsistent.
Errors reported by users remain unaddressed for long durations.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Developers or technically skilled users who need a lightweight, straightforward solution to assign multiple authors to posts without extra bloat.

Not ideal for

Non-technical users or those seeking a plugin with robust support and easy setup instructions may find this plugin challenging to use effectively.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version provides core functionality to assign multiple authors to posts, including shortcode support and basic integration with themes.

Final Verdict

Co-Authors Plus is a valuable tool for managing multiple authors on WordPress posts, especially for users comfortable with some coding and technical setup.

However, its lack of user-friendly documentation and limited support may pose challenges for less experienced users, making it best suited for developers or those willing to troubleshoot independently.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Co-Authors Plus plugin.

Assign multiple bylines

Co-authors

Guest author profile

Screenshots

FAQ

If you’ve just installed Co-Authors Plus, you might notice that the bylines are being added in the backend but aren’t appearing on the front end. You’ll need to add the template tags to your theme before the bylines will appear.