Author List Block

The Author List Block allows you to display multiple authors in a customizable list format, perfect for team directories, contributor listings, or any situation where a vertical arrangement is preferred.

Table of contents

  1. TOC

Author List Block

Overview

The Author List Block is designed to showcase multiple authors in a clean, organized list format. It’s perfect for:

  • Team directories
  • Contributor pages
  • Faculty listings
  • Staff pages
  • Event speaker rosters

Block Settings

The Author List Block offers a variety of settings to customize both the content and appearance.

Author Selection

  • Author Selection: Choose specific authors to include in your list
  • Filter by Role: Optionally filter authors by their WordPress role (All, Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor)
  • Maximum Authors: Limit the number of authors displayed (0 = show all selected)

List Settings

  • Display Style:
    • Compact: Space-efficient layout showing essential information
    • Detailed: Expanded layout with more author details
  • List Style:
    • Unordered List: Standard bulleted list format
    • Ordered List: Numbered list format
  • Show Dividers: Add separators between list items
  • Divider Color: Customize the color of dividers
  • Rounded Corners: Add rounded corners to list items
  • Hover Effect: Add interactive hover animation
  • Space Between Items: Adjust vertical spacing between authors (0-50px)
  • Block Padding: Adjust padding around the entire block (0-50px)
  • Item Padding: Adjust padding within each list item (0-50px)

Colors

  • Block Background: Set a background color for the entire list block
  • Item Background: Set a background color for individual list items

Display Elements

  • Show Author Image: Toggle display of author profile pictures
  • Show Position/Role: Toggle display of author title/position
  • Show Email: Toggle display of author email address
  • Show Description: Toggle display of author biographical information
  • Show Social Links: Toggle display of author social media profiles

Display Styles

The Author List block offers two distinct display styles to suit different needs:

Compact Style

The Compact style presents each author in a streamlined format:

  • Author image on the left
  • Name and position in the middle
  • Social links on the right (optional)

This style is ideal for creating concise lists with many authors, minimizing vertical space while providing essential information.

Compact Style

Detailed Style

The Detailed style provides a more comprehensive presentation:

  • Author image on the left
  • Name, position, email, and description to the right
  • Social links at the bottom

This style is perfect for more in-depth team directories where you want to showcase more information about each author.

Detailed Style

List Style Options

Choose between two list formats:

  • Unordered List: Traditional bulleted list format (•)
  • Ordered List: Sequential numbered list format (1, 2, 3…)

Responsive Behavior

The Author List block automatically adapts to different screen sizes:

  • Desktop: Displays both compact and detailed layouts as configured
  • Mobile:
    • Detailed layout switches to a stacked format with the image centered
    • Compact layout maintains its horizontal arrangement with adjusted spacing

Usage Examples

Team Directory (Detailed Style) 

<!-- wp:author-profile-blocks/author-list {
  "authorIds": [1, 2, 3, 4, 5],
  "displayStyle": "detailed",
  "listStyle": "ul",
  "enableDividers": true,
  "enableRounded": true,
  "showImage": true,
  "showEmail": true,
  "showDescription": true,
  "showPosition": true,
  "showSocial": true,
  "itemSpacing": 20,
  "itemPadding": 15
} /-->

Contributors List (Compact Style) 

<!-- wp:author-profile-blocks/author-list {
  "authorIds": [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8],
  "displayStyle": "compact",
  "listStyle": "ul",
  "enableDividers": true,
  "enableHoverEffect": true,
  "showImage": true,
  "showPosition": true,
  "showSocial": true,
  "itemSpacing": 10
} /-->

Numbered Author List 

<!-- wp:author-profile-blocks/author-list {
  "authorIds": [1, 2, 3],
  "displayStyle": "detailed",
  "listStyle": "ol",
  "enableDividers": false,
  "enableRounded": true,
  "enableHoverEffect": true,
  "showImage": true,
  "showEmail": true,
  "showDescription": true,
  "showPosition": true,
  "showSocial": true,
  "itemBackgroundColor": "#f7f7f7",
  "itemSpacing": 15,
  "itemPadding": 20
} /-->

Tips and Best Practices

  • Use consistent image sizes for all authors to maintain visual harmony
  • For long lists, the compact style works best
  • Enable dividers for improved readability, especially with detailed items
  • Consider using the numbered list style for “top contributors” or ranking presentations
  • Keep descriptions brief when using the detailed style to maintain consistent item heights
  • Use hover effects to add interactivity for better user engagement
  • For alternating background colors, add a custom CSS class and use :nth-child(odd/even) selectors

Hover Effects

When enabled, the hover effect adds subtle interaction feedback when users hover over list items:

  1. A gentle background color transition
  2. A slight shadow effect
  3. (Optional) Scale transformation for a subtle zoom effect

This adds an element of interactivity to your author listings and helps users identify which item they’re currently focusing on.

Converting to Other Blocks

The Author List Block can be easily converted to other Author Profile Blocks types using the toolbar options:

  1. Select the Author List Block in the editor
  2. Click the “Convert to Grid” button in the toolbar

This will create a new Author Grid Block with the same authors and settings, allowing you to experiment with different presentation formats.