Find answers to common questions about Main Authors, co-authors, automatic author assignment, and publishing posts with Molongui Authorship.
What Is the Difference Between a Main Author and a Co-author?
The Main Author is the primary person credited for a post.
Co-authors are additional contributors.
When multiple authors are assigned, one must be designated as Main.
Can a Guest Author Be the Main Author?
Yes.
A Main Author can be either a registered WordPress user or a Guest Author.
The author does not need a WordPress user account to receive primary credit.
Does Molongui Automatically Assign the Main Author?
Yes, when there is only one unambiguous choice.
For example, Molongui automatically selects Main when:
- You add the first author to an empty author list.
- You remove the Main Author and exactly one other author remains.
- You replace an author in single-author mode.
Molongui does not automatically choose between multiple remaining authors.
Why Didn’t the Only Remaining Author Automatically Become Main?
Automatic promotion occurs when you remove an existing Main Author and exactly one author remains.
If the post already had no Main Author before you removed other authors, Molongui preserves that unresolved state.
Click the star next to the remaining author to designate them as Main.
Why Doesn’t Adding Another Author Fix a Missing Main Author?
Adding a co-author to a nonempty list is not treated as a request to change primary authorship.
If the post already has authors but no Main, you must explicitly select one using the star icon.
This prevents unintended changes to existing posts.
Can I Change the Main Author Without Removing Anyone?
Yes.
Click the empty star icon next to the author you want to make Main.
The previous Main Author remains assigned as a co-author.
Does Moving an Author to the First Position Make Them Main?
No.
Reordering co-authors does not change primary authorship.
Use the star icon to designate the Main Author. Molongui then keeps that author in the primary position.
Can I Save a Draft Without a Main Author?
Yes.
Drafts can be saved without a Main Author.
However, you must assign a valid Main Author before publishing, scheduling, or updating an already published post.
What Happens If I Remove the Main Author From a Published Post?
If exactly one other author remains, that author automatically becomes Main.
If multiple authors remain, Molongui requires you to choose a new Main Author manually.
The post editor will prevent an invalid update that would leave a published post without a valid Main Author.
Does Automatic Main Author Assignment Work in Quick Edit and Bulk Edit?
Yes.
Starting with version 5.3.2, the same author selection rules apply in the full post editor, Quick Edit, and Bulk Edit.
Bulk Edit has one important difference: an empty Authors field means No Change, so existing post authors are not modified unless you make an explicit author selection.
How Can I Find Posts That Have No Main Author?
Go to Posts > All Posts and select No Main Author.
This view shows posts explicitly marked as having unresolved Main Author information.
Open each affected post and assign the appropriate Main Author.
Do I Need to Manually Select Main Every Time I Create a Post?
No.
New posts normally start with an assigned Main Author, and the plugin automatically handles common author replacement scenarios.
Manual selection is only necessary when the plugin cannot determine the correct Main Author without making an ambiguous choice.
