Quick Start Guide

Get up and running with ThemeRuby Multi Authors in 5 minutes.

Step 1: Install and Activate

If you haven't already, follow the Installation Guide to install and activate the plugin.

Step 2: Verify Installation

After activation, verify the plugin is working:

1. Check for Authors Meta Box

   • Go to Posts > Add New
   • Look for "Authors" meta box in the right sidebar
   • You should see a list of users

2. Check Settings Page

   • Go to Settings > ThemeRuby Multi Authors
   • You should see configuration options

If both are visible, installation is successful! ✅

Step 3: Assign Multiple Authors

Let's assign multiple authors to a post:

In Block Editor (Gutenberg)

1. Create or Edit a Post

   Posts > Add New (or edit existing post)

2. Find Authors Meta Box

   • Look in the right sidebar
   • Find "Authors" panel
   • It may be collapsed - click to expand

3. Select Authors

   • Check the boxes next to authors' names
   • You can select multiple authors
   • Selected authors appear at the top

4. Save/Update

   • Click Publish or Update button
   • Authors are now assigned!

In Classic Editor

1. Create or Edit a Post

   Posts > Add New (or edit existing post)

2. Find Authors Meta Box

   • Look in the right sidebar
   • Find "Authors" box
   • Should be below Publish box

3. Select Authors

   • Check boxes next to authors
   • Select as many as needed

4. Publish/Update

   • Click Publish or Update
   • Done!

Example: Collaborative Article

Post Title: "Complete WordPress Guide"

Authors:
☑ John Doe (Admin)
☑ Jane Smith (Editor)
☑ Bob Johnson (Contributor)

Result: All three are credited as authors

Step 4: Display Authors (Choose One Method)

Now let's display authors on your site. Choose the method that works best for you:

Method A: Use Shortcodes (Easiest - No Coding!)

The easiest way to display authors is using shortcodes. Just add them to your post content:

Basic Author List:

[ema_authors]

Complete Author Box:

[ema_author_box]

Where to use:

• In post/page content (Block or Classic Editor)
• In widgets (Appearance > Widgets)
• In page builders (Elementor, Beaver Builder, etc.)

👉 Complete Shortcode Guide - See all 5 available shortcodes

Method B: Check Theme Display

Some themes automatically display authors. Let's check:

Check Post on Frontend

1. View the Post

   • Click View Post (after publishing)
   • Or visit the post URL

2. Look for Author Information

Depending on your theme:

• Authors may appear in the post byline
• May show in author meta section
• May be in a custom location

note

Different themes display authors differently. Some themes may not automatically show multiple authors.

Method C: Use Template Tag (For Developers)

If you have access to theme files and want custom integration:

In single.php or content.php:

<?php
if ( function_exists( 'tmauthors_the_authors' ) ) {
    echo '<div class="post-authors">';
    echo '<span class="author-label">By: </span>';
    tmauthors_the_authors();
    echo '</div>';
}
?>

👉 Full Theme Integration Guide

Step 5: Check Author Archives

Let's verify author archive pages work:

1. Click an Author Name

   • On any post, click an author's name
   • You'll go to their author archive

2. Verify Posts Appear

   • You should see ALL posts by that author
   • Including posts where they're not the primary author
   • Posts are automatically filtered by the plugin

Example Author Archive

URL: https://your-site.com/author/john-doe/

Shows:
✅ Posts where John is primary author
✅ Posts where John is co-author
✅ All posts John contributed to

Powered by: ThemeRuby Multi Authors automatic filtering

Step 6: Configure Basic Settings

Let's customize the plugin to your needs:

1. Go to Settings

   WordPress Admin > Settings > ThemeRuby Multi Authors

2. Key Settings to Review:

Supported Post Types

Default: Post

Available:
☐ Post
☐ Page
☐ Custom Post Types (if available)

Enable for post types where you want multiple authors.

Author Box

☐ Enable Author Box

When enabled:
- Displays author bios at end of posts
- Shows author avatars
- Includes author links

Try enabling this to automatically show author information!

Archive Filtering

☑ Enable Archive Filtering (recommended)

What it does:
- Author archives show all their posts
- Works automatically
- No theme changes needed

Keep this enabled for best results.

WP_Query Filtering

☑ Enable WP_Query author parameter support (recommended)
☑ Enable WP_Query author__in parameter support (recommended)
☑ Enable WP_Query author__not_in parameter support (recommended)

Enable all for full compatibility with themes and plugins.

Cache Settings

☑ Enable Caching (recommended)

Benefits:
- Faster performance
- Reduced database queries
- Better user experience

Keep enabled unless debugging.

3. Save Changes
   • Scroll to bottom
   • Click Save Changes
   • Settings are now active!

Step 7: Test Multiple Authors Display

Let's create a test post with multiple authors:

Create Test Post

1. Create New Post

   Posts > Add New

2. Add Content

   Title: "Test Multi-Author Post"
   Content: "This post is written by multiple authors."

3. Assign Multiple Authors

   • Select 2-3 authors in Authors meta box

4. Publish

   • Click Publish button

5. View Post

   • Click View Post

What to Check

• Multiple author names appear
• Author names are linked
• Clicking author goes to their archive
• Archive shows all their posts
• Author box appears (if enabled)

If all checks pass, everything is working! ✅

Step 8: Use in Post List

Let's explore admin features:

View Authors Column

1. Go to Posts List

   Posts > All Posts

2. Check Authors Column

   • You should see "Authors" column
   • Shows all authors for each post
   • Separated by commas

Sort by Authors

1. Click Column Header
   • Click "Authors" column header
   • Posts sort by author name

Filter by Author

1. Use Author Filter
   • Look for author dropdown above post list
   • Select an author
   • Click Filter
   • See only their posts

Common First Tasks

Make All Posts Have Multiple Authors

For existing posts:

1. Edit each post
2. Add additional authors
3. Update post

Or use Quick Edit for faster updates:

1. Go to Posts > All Posts
2. Hover over a post
3. Click Quick Edit
4. Assign authors
5. Click Update

Set Default Authors

Currently, the plugin doesn't support default authors. You need to manually assign for each post.

tip

For bulk author assignment, use Bulk Edit feature.

Add Guest Authors

Guest authors must be WordPress users:

1. Create New User

   Users > Add New

2. Fill Details

   • Username: guest-john
   • Email: [email protected]
   • Role: Contributor

3. Assign to Posts

   • Edit post
   • Select the guest user
   • Update

Display Author Count

Show how many authors on a post:

<?php
$authors = tmauthors_get_post_authors( get_the_ID() );
$count = count( $authors );
echo "Written by {$count} authors";
?>

Quick Reference

Key Functions

// Get post authors
$authors = tmauthors_get_post_authors( $post_id );

// Display authors
tmauthors_the_authors( $post_id );

// Check if multiple authors
if ( tmauthors_has_multiple_authors( $post_id ) ) {
    // Do something
}

// Get first author
$first_author = tmauthors_get_first_author( $post_id );

Key Settings

Setting	Recommendation	Why
Archive Filtering	✅ Enable	Essential functionality
WP_Query Support	✅ Enable All	Theme compatibility
Caching	✅ Enable	Performance
Author Box	⚪ Optional	Based on preference
Supported Post Types	⚪ As Needed	Depends on use case

Meta Box Location

Block Editor:

Right Sidebar > Authors Panel

Classic Editor:

Right Sidebar > Authors Meta Box

Quick Edit:

Posts List > Hover > Quick Edit > Authors

Verification Checklist

After setup, verify everything works:

• Authors meta box appears in post editor
• Can select multiple authors
• Authors save correctly when post is published
• Authors appear on frontend (in theme or via template tag)
• Author archives show all posts by that author
• Authors column appears in post list
• Can filter posts by author
• Settings page accessible
• Caching works (check performance)

What's Next?

Now that you're set up, explore advanced features:

• Assigning Authors - Detailed guide on author management
• Display Options - Customize author display
• General Settings - Full settings reference
• Theme Integration - Add to your theme
• Template Tags - Developer functions

Need Help?

• Troubleshooting Guide
• FAQ
• Check browser console for JavaScript errors
• Enable WordPress debug mode for PHP errors

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Congratulations! 🎉 You've successfully set up ThemeRuby Multi Authors!