How to Bulk Assign Posts to a New Author in WordPress

Managing a multi-author blog or a content-rich website on WordPress can often lead to extensive editorial changes. Whether you’re reassigning content responsibilities or cleaning up author details after migrating content, there may come a time when you need to assign a large number of posts to a new author. Doing this manually post by post is time-consuming and inefficient. Fortunately, WordPress provides multiple ways to bulk assign posts to a different author, streamlining your workflow and keeping your site organized.

Why You Might Need to Reassign Posts

There are many scenarios where bulk reassigning posts becomes necessary. Here are a few examples:

  • You’ve hired a new content manager and want to give them ownership of legacy posts.
  • An author has left your team, and their posts need redistribution.
  • You’re restructuring your site’s content under new authorship for branding or SEO purposes.
  • You’ve imported content from another platform or website and need to map it to existing author accounts.

Whatever your reason, handling this task efficiently ensures your site maintains professional accuracy and editorial oversight.

Method 1: Using the Built-In Bulk Edit Tool

WordPress comes with a built-in bulk editing tool that allows you to modify post details, including the post author. Here’s how you can use it:

  1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Navigate to Posts > All Posts.
  3. Filter or search to find the specific posts you’d like to reassign. You can also select entire categories or date ranges.
  4. Check the boxes next to each post you want to bulk edit.
  5. At the top of the list, click the Bulk actions drop-down menu and select Edit, then click Apply.
  6. A new panel will expand. Look for the Author drop-down menu within it.
  7. Choose the new author you want to assign from the list of registered users.
  8. Click the Update button to save your changes.

This method is intuitive and requires no technical expertise. However, it has a limitation: WordPress shows only 20 posts per page by default. If you’re managing hundreds or thousands of posts, this might be inefficient.

Method 2: Increase Post Listing per Page

To make the bulk edit method more effective, you can increase the number of posts displayed per page. Here’s how:

  1. On the All Posts page, click the Screen Options tab at the top right corner.
  2. In the “Number of items per page” field, increase the number from the default (20) to a higher number like 100 or even 999, depending on your hosting capacity.
  3. Click Apply.

This allows you to select and edit more posts at once, making the reassignment process much quicker.

[ai-img]wordpress dashboard bulk edit, wordpress admin interface[/ai-img]

Method 3: Use a Plugin for Greater Control

If you’re looking for more flexibility and have a large volume of content to manage, using a plugin might be the best option. Several plugins allow you to reassign post authors in bulk efficiently. One such popular plugin is Bulk Edit Posts and Products in Spreadsheet.

Installing the Plugin

  1. Go to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Search for “Bulk Edit Posts and Products in Spreadsheet” or similar tools.
  3. Install and activate the plugin.

Using the Plugin

After activation:

  1. Navigate to the plugin’s interface, which is usually under Posts > Bulk Edit or its own section.
  2. Use the filtering tools to find the posts you want to reassign.
  3. Select the posts or use “Select All.”
  4. Use the bulk tools provided to select a new author.
  5. Click “Apply” or “Update” to confirm the changes.

Plugins typically offer additional helpful features, like filtering by custom post types, taxonomies, or post status, making them ideal for larger operations.

Method 4: Change Author via SQL (For Advanced Users)

If you are comfortable working with databases, you can reassign post authors directly in the database via SQL. This is especially useful for developers managing very large sites. Important: Always back up your database before making direct changes.

Steps to Follow:

  1. Log into your hosting account and access phpMyAdmin.
  2. Select your WordPress database.
  3. Run the following SQL query:
UPDATE wp_posts 
SET post_author = NEW_AUTHOR_ID 
WHERE post_author = OLD_AUTHOR_ID;

Replace NEW_AUTHOR_ID and OLD_AUTHOR_ID with the appropriate user IDs from your wp_users table.

This method is very efficient but should be used only by those familiar with database operations to avoid data loss or corruption.

Confirming the Changes

After changing authors—whether via the WordPress UI, a plugin, or an SQL query—it’s a good idea to verify your changes.

  • Go to the profile of the new author and click on their name to list their posts.
  • Double-check the front-end views of the posts to ensure the author name reflects the change.
  • Use analytical plugins or tools to ensure metadata was reassigned properly if you rely on schema for SEO.

It’s also worth informing users of the update if the change will affect post attribution or access to edit their content.

[ai-img]wordpress author change confirmation, wordpress author profile[/ai-img]

Best Practices

To make author reassignments smoother and protect your site integrity, keep these best practices in mind:

  • Backup your site before making bulk changes, especially if using plugins or SQL.
  • Use user roles appropriately. Only assign users who have permissions to manage posts, like Editors or Authors.
  • Track original authorship using post meta if needed. You might want to preserve credit, even when the official author changes.
  • Document your changes. Maintain simple logs for future audits, especially on multi-author or collaborative websites.

What About Custom Post Types?

If you’re using custom post types (CPTs), such as ‘Portfolio’ or ‘Product’, these methods still apply. However, make sure your bulk editor or plugin supports CPTs. Some plugins allow you to filter and edit various types of content beyond standard “Posts.”

The SQL method also works regardless of post type, as long as the post’s entry exists in the wp_posts table.

Conclusion

Whether you are managing a team of writers, cleaning up after importing content, or simply need to switch authors to match editorial shifts, changing post authors in WordPress is a fairly straightforward task when done right. By using built-in tools, plugins, or direct database changes, you can handle the job in a way that best suits the size and complexity of your website.

Choosing the right method depends on your comfort level and the volume of content. For most users, WordPress’s UI tools and plugins provide safe, user-friendly options. For developers, SQL can be a powerful time-saver. Whatever route you take, ensure accuracy and consistency to maintain the quality and reliability of your website’s content.