If the avatar shown on your site is different from the Custom Default Avatar configured in Molongui Authorship, WordPress may be using its own Default Avatar instead.
Molongui Authorship and WordPress provide different fallback mechanisms, and which one is used depends on your avatar settings.
Molongui Custom Default Avatar vs. WordPress Default Avatar
These are two different settings:
- Molongui Custom Default Avatar — Configured under Authors > Settings > General.
- WordPress Default Avatar — Configured under Settings > Discussion.
The Molongui Custom Default Avatar is a dedicated fallback image that you upload and choose yourself.
The WordPress Default Avatar is part of the normal WordPress/Gravatar avatar flow.
When is the Molongui Custom Default Avatar used?
If Use a custom default avatar is enabled, Molongui Authorship can use that image when no higher-priority author-specific avatar is available.
With Local Avatars and Gravatar enabled, the usual priority is:
Local Avatar → Gravatar → Custom Default Avatar
When is the WordPress Default Avatar used?
If Gravatar is enabled but the Molongui Custom Default Avatar is disabled, WordPress can use the Default Avatar configured under Settings > Discussion when the author does not have a Gravatar.
For example:
Local Avatar → Gravatar → WordPress Default Avatar
Why am I seeing the WordPress Default Avatar?
You will typically see the WordPress Default Avatar when all of the following are true:
- The author has no higher-priority Local Avatar.
- Gravatar is enabled.
- The author does not have a Gravatar associated with their email address.
- The Molongui Custom Default Avatar is disabled or not being used in that specific avatar flow.
How to use the Molongui Custom Default Avatar instead
- Go to Authors > Settings.
- Open the General tab.
- Find the Author Avatar Settings section.
- Enable Use a custom default avatar.
- Select the image you want to use.
- Save the settings.
Once enabled, the Molongui Custom Default Avatar can replace the WordPress Default Avatar in the normal Molongui avatar fallback flow.
Why am I seeing a Mystery Person avatar?
A Mystery Person avatar usually comes from a Gravatar or legacy Author Box fallback configuration.
This does not necessarily mean that the Mystery Person option is selected as the Default Avatar in WordPress.
The Author Box can have its own historical avatar source and fallback settings, and existing configurations are preserved for backward compatibility.
What happens if Gravatar is disabled?
If Use Gravatar for author avatars is disabled under Authors > Settings > General, Molongui Authorship does not use the WordPress Default Avatar as part of the Gravatar flow.
In that case, the plugin will use another enabled avatar source, such as a Local Avatar or the Molongui Custom Default Avatar.
Still seeing an unexpected avatar?
Check the following:
- Whether the author has a Local Avatar.
- Whether Gravatar is enabled.
- Whether the author has a Gravatar associated with their email address.
- Whether the Molongui Custom Default Avatar is enabled.
- Which Default Avatar is selected under Settings > Discussion.
- Whether the Author Box or shortcode is using an explicit fallback.
