How to Change Author in Shopify Blog: A Comprehensive Guide

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Understanding the Basics
  3. Navigating Through Restrictions
  4. Incorporating Best Practices
  5. Conclusion
  6. FAQ Section

Introduction

Have you ever found yourself puzzled over changing the author name on a Shopify blog post? Perhaps you wanted to credit a guest writer, showcase your brand as the author, or simply correct a mistake. This common task, surprisingly, perplexes many Shopify store owners due to its less-than-obvious solution. In this post, we'll unravel the process, offering a compelling blend of Shopify's current capabilities, functional workarounds, and innovative solutions. By delving into this guide, you'll not only master the art of changing blog authors within Shopify but also discover strategic insights to elevate your content strategy.

Understanding the Basics

Shopify, a leading e-commerce platform, boasts a myriad of features designed to empower merchants. However, when it comes to customizing blog authors, the platform's rigidity leaves much to be desired. As of now, Shopify restricts the blog post author field to either the account owner or staff members' names. This inherent limitation poses challenges, especially for businesses keen on featuring guest posts or preferring to use a generic company name.

Why Change a Blog Author?

The need to change a blog author can stem from various objectives:

  • Branding: Consistently using your brand name as the author can reinforce brand identity.
  • Collaboration: Crediting guest authors can enrich your blog's diversity and appeal.
  • Privacy: Sometimes, it's preferable to publish content anonymously or under a pseudonym.

Navigating Through Restrictions

Given the constraints, let's explore the available pathways to change a blog author in Shopify:

Staff Account Workaround

The most straightforward method involves creating a staff account under the desired author name. While effective, this approach has its downsides, such as consuming one of your limited staff account slots and not being ideal for one-off guest posts.

Steps:

  1. Create a New Staff Account: Head to your Shopify admin dashboard, navigate to 'Settings' > 'Users and permissions', and create a new staff account with the guest author's or brand's name.
  2. Assign Blog Authorship: When posting or editing a blog post, select the newly created staff account as the author from the dropdown menu.

Theme Customization

For those inclined towards a more technical solution, tweaking your Shopify theme's code allows for more flexibility, including hiding the author's name altogether. It's a viable option if you're looking to maintain anonymity or unify authorship under your brand name.

Customization Steps:

  • Access Theme Code: From your Shopify admin, go to 'Online Store' > 'Themes'. Find your theme, click 'Actions', and select 'Edit code'.
  • Modify Blog Templates: Locate the article.liquid and blog.liquid templates and edit them to either hide the author's name or replace it with a static name of your choice.

Utilizing Apps or Shopify Experts

For those seeking a hassle-free solution, Shopify's App Store offers applications designed to circumvent the platform's limitations on blog authorship. Additionally, hiring a Shopify Expert for custom development can provide a tailored solution but at a higher cost.

Incorporating Best Practices

Changing the blog author is just a piece of the puzzle. Optimize your Shopify blog by:

  • Regularly Updating Content: Fresh content keeps your audience engaged and improves SEO.
  • Leveraging SEO: Use keywords strategically in your blog posts to boost visibility.
  • Engaging with Your Audience: Encourage comments and share your posts on social media to increase reach.

Conclusion

Shopify's rigid control over blog author names may present a hurdle, but with creative workarounds and external tools, overcoming this limitation is well within reach. Whether through staff account manipulation, theme code adjustments, or leveraging apps, you have several strategies at your disposal to align blog authorship with your branding and collaboration goals.

By incorporating these insights and best practices into your content strategy, you're set to not only master the technicalities of changing a blog author in Shopify but also to elevate the overall impact of your blog. Happy blogging!

FAQ Section

Q: Can I change the blog author name to anything I want? A: Within Shopify's limitations, the blog author name must be associated with a staff account. You can create a staff account with any name, complying with Shopify's policies.

Q: Will changing the blog author affect SEO? A: The blog author's name itself has minimal direct impact on SEO. However, consistency in publishing quality content under the same authorship can build authority and trustworthiness over time.

Q: What if I don't want to show any author name? A: You can edit your theme's code to remove the author section from your blog posts or use a Shopify app designed to manage blog post features, including author name visibility.

Q: Is it possible to have multiple authors for a single post? A: Shopify's default functionality does not support multiple authors per post. For this, you'd need to either mention all authors within the post content or seek a custom solution through apps or Shopify Experts.

Q: Can changing the author name help in branding? A: Yes, consistently using your brand name as the author can reinforce your brand's identity and contribute to a cohesive brand image across your content.

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