Introducing the Unique Author Showcase Page for WordPress
Do you want to enhance the author showcase page on your WordPress website? Many themes have limited options for displaying author information on their author archive page. In this article, we will explore three different methods to create a custom author showcase page in WordPress. By implementing any of these methods, you can improve both the aesthetics and functionality of your website’s author pages.
Method 1: Using the SeedProd Plugin
For an efficient way to create a custom author showcase page in WordPress, turn to the SeedProd plugin. This versatile plugin allows you to effortlessly build beautiful author pages for every writer featured on your website. Complete with a drag and drop page builder and a collection of pre-designed themes, customizing your author showcase page becomes a seamless task.
To get started, install and activate the SeedProd plugin. For detailed instructions, refer to our tutorial on how to install a WordPress plugin. While the free version of SeedProd is available, you will need the Pro version to access the custom author page template.
Once the plugin is activated, go to the SeedProd » Theme Builder option in your WordPress dashboard. Click on the ‘Theme Templates Kit’ button to access the library of pre-designed website kits. Hover over the designs and click the checkmark icon to choose a website theme from the library.
After selecting a theme, SeedProd will import the website kit and present you with a list of template parts on the theme builder dashboard. These template parts include a homepage, blog page, contact page, and more, enabling you to set up your entire website.
To create a custom author page template, simply click on the ‘Add New Theme Template’ button. In the ‘Type’ dropdown menu, select the ‘Author Page’ option. If you want a unique author page for each writer, enter the user ID of the specific author. Alternatively, you can leave the field blank to apply the same layout to all authors.
Next, customize the author showcase page by clicking the ‘Edit Design’ link below the template. Utilize the blocks and sections in the page builder to include content and design elements on your page. You have the freedom to incorporate an author headline, author bio, recent posts, social profiles, and much more.
Once you are satisfied with the design of your author showcase page, save your changes and exit the page builder. To activate your custom SeedProd theme and make your author page live on your site, go to SeedProd » Theme Builder and enable the ‘Enable SeedProd Theme’ toggle.
Method 2: Using the WP User Manager Plugin
Another effective method to create a custom author showcase page is by leveraging the WP User Manager plugin. This plugin provides several options for author profile pages and enables you to customize user profiles on your WordPress site.
Start by installing and activating the WP User Manager plugin. Visit the Users » Settings page to configure the plugin settings. WP User Manager automatically generates different pages for custom login, user registration, account, and profile pages.
Under the ‘Profiles’ tab in the plugin settings, you have the ability to enable the profile page option for guests and users. This allows anyone to view user profiles and permits members to view each other’s profiles. Furthermore, you can enable features such as profile photos, display recent articles, and comment display on the profile page.
To establish SEO-friendly URLs for the author showcase pages, visit the Settings » Permalinks page and select an appropriate permalink structure. Using either the username or nickname in the URL is more SEO-friendly compared to using the user ID.
To help users easily find their showcase pages, add the Login Form widget to a sidebar using the Appearance » Widgets page. This widget will display a login form to logged-out users and account information to logged-in users. By clicking on the username, users will be redirected to their author showcase page.
Method 3: Editing Theme Files
If you prefer to customize author showcase pages by editing theme files, you can follow this method. Begin by connecting to your website using an FTP client and navigate to the /wp-content/themes/your-current-theme/ folder.
Create a new folder called “wpum” inside your theme folder. Download the files located in the /wp-content/plugins/wp-user-manager/templates/ folder to your computer. Afterwards, upload these files to the new “wpum” folder within your theme directory.
To personalize the appearance of the showcase pages, use a text editor to modify the template files in the “wpum” folder. You can adjust the layout, add user profile fields, display recent posts, and more.
To include a visually appealing author showcase card, incorporate custom CSS in your theme’s CSS file. Adjust the CSS code to match the colors and design of your theme.
Conclusion
By implementing any of the methods mentioned above, you can create a custom author showcase page for your WordPress site. Whether you choose to use the SeedProd plugin, WP User Manager plugin, or edit theme files, the outcome will be a distinct and visually captivating author showcase page. Enhance the user experience on your website by showcasing author information, recent articles, and social profiles. Experiment with the various methods to find the one that best suits your needs.
