How to Change the Author Name in Your Shopify Blog: A Step-by-Step Guide

Starting a Shopify blog is a great way to connect with your audience and share valuable content. But what happens when you want to change the author name on your posts? Maybe you've had a change in staff, or perhaps you're rebranding your blog persona. Whatever the reason, updating the author name is a straightforward process once you know the steps.

In this post, we'll walk you through the process of changing the author name on your Shopify blog. We'll break it down into manageable steps and provide practical tips along the way. Whether you're a seasoned Shopify user or just getting started, you'll find this guide helpful and easy to follow.

Why Change the Author Name?

Before we dive into the how-to, let's chat about the why. Why would you want to change the author name on your Shopify blog? There are a few reasons this might be necessary:

• Staff Changes: If someone new is taking over the blog, it's important to reflect that in the author name.
• Brand Consistency: Perhaps you’re consolidating your brand's voice and want all posts under a single author name.
• Personal Rebranding: Maybe you’ve decided to blog under a pseudonym or a new brand name.

Each of these scenarios calls for a change in the author name, ensuring your content stays up-to-date and relevant.

Checking Your Current Author Settings

First things first, let's check where your current author settings are. This is crucial because knowing what’s currently set up will help you understand what you need to change. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Log into your Shopify admin panel by entering your credentials.
2. Navigate to the Online Store section on the left-hand side of your dashboard.
3. Click on Blog Posts to view a list of all your published blogs.
4. Select any blog post to open it, and look for the Author field. This is where the current author name is displayed.

Once you’ve checked the current settings, you’ll have a better idea of what needs to be changed.

Understanding User Accounts and Permissions

In Shopify, author names are tied to user accounts. Each account needs appropriate permissions to make changes. Here’s what you need to know about user accounts:

• Account Roles: Make sure the account you’re using has the right permissions. You’ll need to be an admin or have content management permissions.
• Creating New Users: If you're adding a new author, you'll need to create a new staff account for them. Go to Settings > Users and Permissions and click Add staff.
• Editing Permissions: Ensure the new account has the necessary permissions to create and edit blog posts.

Understanding these roles will help you manage who can change author names and how they can do it.

Changing the Author Name on Existing Posts

Now, let's get to the heart of the matter: changing the author name on your existing blog posts. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Go to the Online Store section and click on Blog Posts.
2. Select the post you want to edit.
3. In the post editor, find the Author field. Click the dropdown menu to see all available users.
4. Select the new author name from the list.
5. Save your changes by clicking Save at the top right of the screen.

Repeat these steps for each blog post you want to update. It might be a bit tedious if you have a lot of posts, but it ensures consistency across your blog.

Setting a Default Author for New Posts

To save time in the future, you might want to set a default author for all new posts. This ensures that every new blog automatically displays the correct author name. Here’s how to set it up:

1. In your Shopify admin, go to Settings.
2. Select Blog Posts under the Online Store section.
3. Look for the Default Blog Author field and choose your preferred author from the dropdown menu.
4. Remember to click Save to apply these changes.

Setting a default author can be a real time-saver, especially if the same person writes most of your content.

Using Liquid Code to Display Author Names

If you're comfortable with a bit of coding, you can use Shopify’s Liquid template language to customize how author names display on your blog. Here’s a simple example of how you can do this:

{% for article in blog.articles %}
<h2><a href="{{ article.url }}">{{ article.title }}</a></h2>
<p>Written by {{ article.author }}</p>
{% endfor %}

This code snippet displays the author name for each blog post in a loop. You can place this code in your blog template file to customize the author display across your site.

Testing Your Changes

Once you’ve updated the author names, it’s important to test your changes to ensure everything looks and works as expected. Here’s a quick checklist:

• Visit your blog page and check a few posts to ensure the correct author name displays.
• Test any links associated with the author name to make sure they direct to the correct pages.
• Verify that any new posts automatically show the default author name, if you’ve set one.

Testing helps catch any issues early, so you can fix them before your audience notices.

Communicating Changes to Your Audience

After making these changes, you might want to inform your audience about the new author or branding. This can be done through:

• Blog Announcements: Write a blog post explaining the change and introducing the new author.
• Social Media Updates: Use your social channels to inform your followers about the change.
• Email Newsletters: Include a note in your next newsletter about the new author or branding.

Being transparent with your audience helps maintain trust and keeps them engaged with your content.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

Even with a straightforward process like this, you might encounter some issues. Here are common problems and how to solve them:

• Author Not Appearing: Double-check that the user account has the correct permissions.
• Changes Not Saving: Make sure you’re clicking Save after each change. Also, check your internet connection.
• Incorrect Author Display: Ensure you’ve set the default author correctly and that no overrides exist in your Liquid templates.

If you run into any other issues, Shopify’s support team is a great resource to help troubleshoot specific problems.

Final Thoughts

Changing the author name on your Shopify blog is a straightforward process once you know the steps. From understanding user roles to setting default authors, each step helps ensure your blog reflects the right voice and branding.

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