How to Add an Author Box in GeneratePress: Enhancing Your Blog’s Professionalism

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GeneratePress is a versatile WordPress theme that caters to bloggers, businesses, and developers looking for performance, usability, and accessibility. One way to add a personal touch and credibility to your blog posts is by including an author box—a dedicated section that provides information about the post’s author. This can include a photo, a brief bio, and links to social media profiles, contributing to a more engaging and trustworthy user experience. Although GeneratePress does not include an author box feature out of the box, integrating one into your site is straightforward with the help of plugins or custom code. This guide will walk you through the process of adding an author box to your GeneratePress theme.

Table of Contents

Method 1: Using a Plugin

The easiest way to add an author box in GeneratePress is by using a WordPress plugin. There are several free and premium plugins available that are compatible with GeneratePress and can be quickly configured.

Step 1: Choose and Install a Plugin

Navigate to your WordPress dashboard, go to “Plugins” > “Add New”.
Search for “author box” to find a plugin that suits your needs. Some popular options include “Simple Author Box” and “Molongui Authorship”.
Install and activate the plugin of your choice.

I use the free version of Squirrly UK‘s Starbox on How to Hmm, which uses the GeneratePress theme.

Screenshot: BORDERPOLAR

Step 2: Configure the Plugin Settings

Most author box plugins come with a settings page where you can customize the appearance and information displayed in the author box. This typically includes:

The ability to upload an author photo or use the Gravatar linked to the author’s email.
Customizing the text and background colors to match your site’s design.
Adding social media links.
Adjusting the position of the author box (usually below the post).

Method 2: Adding Custom Code

For those who prefer a more hands-on approach or want to avoid using plugins, you can add an author box by customizing your theme files. This method requires creating a child theme to prevent your changes from being overwritten by theme updates.

Step 1: Create a Child Theme

Create a new folder in your wp-content/themes directory, naming it generatepress-child or something similar.
Create a style.css file within your child theme folder, adding the following at the top of the file:

/*
 Theme Name: GeneratePress Child
 Template: generatepress
*/

Activate your child theme from the WordPress dashboard under “Appearance” > “Themes”.

Step 2: Add an Author Box Function

Create a functions.php file in your child theme folder.
Add the following code to functions.php, which creates a simple author box. This code grabs the author’s avatar, name, and bio from their WordPress profile and displays it below each post:

function gp_custom_author_box() {
    if ( is_single() ) {
        ?>
        <div class="author-box">
            <?php echo get_avatar( get_the_author_meta('ID'), 90 ); ?>
            <h4>About the Author: <?php the_author(); ?></h4>
            <p><?php the_author_meta('description'); ?></p>
        </div>
        <?php
    }
}
add_action( 'generate_after_entry_content', 'gp_custom_author_box' );

Step 3: Style the Author Box

Add CSS to your child theme’s style.css or in the “Additional CSS” section of the WordPress Customizer to style your author box. Here’s a basic example:

.author-box {
    border-top: 1px solid #eee;
    padding: 20px;
    margin-top: 20px;
    display: flex;
    align-items: center;
}

.author-box img {
    border-radius: 45px;
    margin-right: 20px;
}

.author-box h4 {
    margin: 0;
    font-size: 20px;
}

Conclusion

Adding an author box to your GeneratePress theme enhances your blog’s professionalism and allows readers to connect with your content creators. Whether you opt for the simplicity of a plugin or the customization potential of adding your own code, either method can effectively introduce an author box to your site. By personalizing your blog posts with author information, you’re not only adding credibility but also encouraging engagement and fostering a community around your content.

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Anastasios Antoniadis

Anastasios Antoniadis is the founder and editor-in-chief of BORDERPOLAR... He is a software engineer, blogger, and avid gamer covering tech, gaming, and coding guides for over 4 years. He is a 2014 graduate of the Department of Informatics and Telecommunications of the University of Athens, an M.Sc. holder in Computer Science, and a Ph.D. student in Program Analysis.