Tomatillo Design Custom Authors

A WordPress plugin that replaces native author bylines with a flexible Contributor custom post type system, designed for external writers and integrated with Genesis Framework and Advanced Custom Fields Pro.

Features

• Custom Contributor CPT: Manage external contributors with profile pages
• Flexible Relationships: Assign one or multiple contributors per post
• Genesis Integration: Automatically overrides Genesis entry meta with custom byline
• Smart Snapshots: Preserves contributor names even if unpublished or deleted
• SEO Optimized: Includes JSON-LD Article schema with proper author attribution
• Admin Friendly: Contributors column and filter in Posts list
• Profile Pages: Public contributor pages with bio, links, and post archive
• Yak Theme Compatible: Uses matching card markup for consistent styling

Requirements

• WordPress 5.8+
• Genesis Framework 3.0+
• Advanced Custom Fields Pro 6.0+
• PHP 7.4+

Installation

1. Upload the plugin folder to /wp-content/plugins/
2. Activate the plugin through the 'Plugins' menu in WordPress
3. Ensure Genesis Framework and ACF Pro are activated
4. Visit Settings > Permalinks and click "Save Changes" to flush rewrite rules

Usage

Adding Contributors

1. Navigate to Contributors in the WordPress admin
2. Click Add New
3. Enter contributor name (title)
4. Add full bio content in the editor
5. Upload a featured image (headshot)
6. Fill in custom fields:
   • Short Bio (for post footer panels)
   • Affiliation (optional)
   • Links (repeater field for external links)
7. Publish

Assigning Contributors to Posts

1. Edit a post
2. In the sidebar, find the Contributors field
3. Search and select contributor(s)
4. Drag to reorder if multiple contributors
5. Save/update post

Entry Meta Display

When contributors are assigned:

• 1 contributor: "Date • By Contributor Name"
• 2 contributors: "Date • By Name and Name"
• 3+ contributors: "Date • By Name, Name, and Name" (Oxford comma)

Contributor Profile Pages

• Single: /contributors/contributor-slug/
• Archive: /contributors/

Each profile shows:

• Featured image (headshot)
• Full bio
• Affiliation
• External links
• List of posts by that contributor (using Yak card markup)

Developer Information

File Structure

tomatillo-design-custom-authors/
├── tomatillo-design-custom-authors.php  # Main plugin file
├── includes/                             # PHP classes
│   ├── class-tdc-cpt.php                # CPT registration
│   ├── class-tdc-acf.php                # ACF field registration
│   ├── class-tdc-snapshots.php          # Snapshot manager
│   ├── class-tdc-genesis-hooks.php      # Genesis integration
│   ├── class-tdc-templates.php          # Template loader
│   ├── class-tdc-admin-columns.php      # Admin columns
│   ├── class-tdc-admin-filters.php      # Admin filters
│   ├── class-tdc-schema.php             # Structured data
│   └── class-tdc-helpers.php            # Helper functions
├── templates/                            # Page templates
│   ├── single-contributor.php           # Single contributor
│   └── archive-contributor.php          # Contributors archive
├── parts/                                # Template parts
│   └── contributor-panel.php            # Post footer panel
├── assets/                               # Frontend assets
│   └── css/
│       └── contributors.css             # Plugin styles
└── tests/                                # PHPUnit tests
    ├── bootstrap.php
    ├── TestHelpers.php
    ├── TestSnapshots.php
    └── TestSchema.php

Running Tests

composer install
./vendor/bin/phpunit

Hooks & Filters

The plugin uses these Genesis hooks:

• genesis_post_info - Override entry meta
• genesis_after_entry_content - Inject contributor panels

Helper Functions

• tdc_format_contributor_list($names) - Format list with Oxford comma
• tdc_should_link_contributor($id) - Check if contributor is published
• tdc_get_contributor_name_html($id, $snapshot) - Get name with optional link
• tdc_build_contributor_snapshot($id) - Build snapshot data
• tdc_build_snapshots_array($ids) - Build array of snapshots
• tdc_get_snapshot_by_id($snapshots, $id) - Find snapshot by ID

Customization

All CSS classes use the tdc- prefix for easy overriding. Key classes:

• .tdc-contributor-panels - Post footer panels container
• .tdc-contributor-panel - Individual panel
• .tdc-contributor-single - Single contributor page
• .tdc-contributor-card - Archive card
• .yak-archive-card - Posts list cards (Yak compatible)

Testing

See TESTING-CHECKLIST.md for complete manual acceptance testing procedures.

Changelog

1.0.0

• Initial release
• Contributor CPT with ACF fields
• Genesis entry meta override
• Post footer contributor panels
• Single and archive templates
• Admin columns and filters
• JSON-LD structured data
• Snapshot system for deleted contributors

Support

For issues or questions, contact Tomatillo Design.

License

GPL-2.0+