WP Custom Author URL

79 Quality Score

Active Installs

17/30

With 5,000 active installs, the plugin sits in a moderate niche rather than the mainstream, which is reflected in its popularity score that is weighted above its raw install count.

Update Freshness

25/25

Last updated in April 2026 and tested against WordPress 6.9.4, the plugin is clearly being maintained against current core releases, earning a perfect maintenance score.

User Rating

15/15

A 100 out of 100 rating from 8 voters is encouraging but based on a very small sample, so it should be read as early positive signal rather than proven consensus.

Support Health

8/15

Zero support threads and zero resolved issues make support health hard to evaluate, which is why this score sits at the midpoint rather than higher.

WP Compatibility

15/15

Supporting WordPress back to 3.0.1 and PHP 5.6, the plugin runs on essentially any WordPress environment in use today, which is why compatibility scores a full mark.

Scores higher than 72% of indexed plugins

About

Set a custom URL for your author name link, on a global or author-specific basis. Also redirects all author pages.

Active Installs 5k+

Rating ★★★★★ 5/5

Last Updated 2026-04-07 8:37pm GMT

Requires WordPress 3.0.1+

Tested Up To 6.9.7

Requires PHP 5.6+

Security History

1 known vulnerability, all patched

1 Medium

Most recent: April 18, 2023

View details ▸

What It Does

WP Custom Author URL lets site administrators override the default author archive link on a global basis or per author, pointing the byline to a custom URL such as a portfolio, LinkedIn profile, or external bio page. It also redirects the standard /author/ archive pages to a configurable destination, consolidating author link behaviour across the site.

Who It's For

This plugin is a good fit for multi-author blogs, news and magazine sites, and freelance writer portfolios where each contributor needs a branded destination beyond the default WordPress author archive. It is also useful for publisher sites and team profile pages that want a single, controlled link target for every author byline.

Who Should Skip It

If you run a single-author site or are happy with the default WordPress author archive behaviour, this plugin adds little value and is not worth installing. Sites that need full membership, registration, or profile editing features should look at a broader plugin like User Profile Builder instead.

The Bottom Line

WP Custom Author URL does one specific thing and does it well, with strong maintenance signals and clean compatibility, but the tiny user base and absence of any support thread history mean you are betting on a narrow tool with limited community proof. It is worth picking if author byline routing is genuinely a problem on your site; otherwise the alternatives above cover broader identity needs more thoroughly.

Related Plugins

User Profile Builder 90/100

Choose Profile Builder when you need full registration forms, front-end profile editing, and role management rather than just custom author links.

CookieAdmin 85/100

CookieAdmin is unrelated to author management and only appears here due to category overlap, so do not pick it for this use case.

One User Avatar 84/100

Pick One User Avatar if your real priority is letting users upload custom profile photos rather than redirecting their byline.

Simple Local Avatars 84/100

Simple Local Avatars is the lighter, more established option if you only need Gravatar replacement and profile pictures.

Simple Banner 83/100

Simple Banner is an announcements plugin with no author link features and is not a substitute for this tool.