Author Component Reference

Before you start

Gather high-quality professional headshots for all authors (800x800px minimum)
Prepare author biographies in both short (40-80 words) and long formats
Collect social media profiles and professional links with permissions
Define your expertise/tag taxonomy to maintain consistency across authors

What you'll find in this reference

Complete author profile creation and management workflows
Byline and author card configuration for consistent presentation
Social media integration and professional link management
Editorial guidelines for maintaining credible and consistent authoring
SEO optimization for author pages and content attribution
Governance practices for author maintenance and quality assurance

What is the Author Component?

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The Author component is a reusable content type for people who write or appear as bylined contributors across your site. This includes founders, team members, guest writers, speakers, and other content creators. It powers bylines on posts, author cards, speaker profiles, and optionally dedicated author profile pages.

Reusable Profiles

One author profile powers bylines across blog posts, event writeups, and other content

Professional Presentation

Consistent headshots, bios, and social links maintain professional credibility

Content Attribution

Clear authorship builds thought leadership and expertise recognition

Core Author Fields

Essential Information

Name

Required - Full name as it should appear on bylines
Example: “Priya Sharma” or “Dr. Rajesh Kumar”
Use consistent casing and diacritics; match public presence

Slug

Required - URL-friendly identifier (if author pages are routable)
Auto-generated from Name; keep short and readable
Example: “priya-sharma” or “john-doe”

Role/Title

Required - Author’s current title or position
Example: “Co-founder & CEO”, “Head of Growth”, “Guest Contributor”
Keep current; update when author’s title changes

Headshot/Image

Required - Professional photo
Square or portrait format, 800×800px or larger
Add descriptive Alt Text: “Portrait of Jane Doe”
Prefer clean background for consistency

Biography Content

Short Bio

Required - Brief summary for cards and bylines
1-3 sentences, 40-80 words
Write in third person unless site uses first person consistently
Focus on expertise relevant to content topics

Primary Link

Optional/Recommended - Main professional profile
Personal website, LinkedIn, or company profile
Use https:// format for external links

Extended Author Fields

Detailed Profile Information

Long Bio

Optional - Full profile for dedicated author pages
Rich text with headings, lists, and links
Include background, expertise, achievements
Add disclosures for investments or affiliations

Pronouns

Optional - Gender pronouns for inclusive presentation
Examples: “she/her”, “he/him”, “they/them”
Displays in author cards and profiles

Location

Optional - Geographic location
Examples: “Mumbai, India”, “Remote”, “San Francisco Bay Area”
Useful for event attribution and networking

Professional Classification

Expertise/Tags

Optional - Topics the author writes about
Array of strings: “fintech”, “growth”, “pricing”, “fundraising”
Use controlled vocabulary to keep filters organized
Helps readers find expertise-specific content

Affiliations

Optional - Companies, funds, or communities
Array of organization names or references
Examples: “Y Combinator”, “Sequoia Capital”, “Founders Club”

Availability

Optional - Services offered
Boolean fields: “Speaking”, “Advising”, “Investing”
Include optional notes or booking links

Provider/Label

Required - Platform name
Examples: “LinkedIn”, “X/Twitter”, “GitHub”, “Substack”, “YouTube”
Use consistent naming across all authors

URL

Required - Full profile URL
Must start with https://
Link to official/active profiles only
Avoid duplicates across provider types

Handle

Optional - Username for display
Example: @username
Useful for social media attribution

Professional Links Priority

Essential Platforms

LinkedIn - Professional networking (highly recommended)
Personal Website - Portfolio or professional site
Company Profile - If representing an organization

Content Platforms

Substack/Newsletter - For regular content creators
Medium - For published articles and thought leadership
GitHub - For technical contributors and developers

Social Platforms

X/Twitter - For industry conversations and updates
YouTube - For video content and speaking
Instagram - For behind-the-scenes and culture content

Display and Management Options

Visibility Controls

Featured

Optional - Boolean toggle for highlighting
Surfaces author on listing pages and carousels
Use for key team members, frequent contributors
Rotate periodically to showcase different voices

Visible/Active

Optional - Show/hide toggle
Hide authors without deleting their profile
Preserves historical bylines when toggled off
Useful for temporary contributors or departed team members

Sort Order/Priority

Optional - Numerical ordering
Lower numbers appear first in manual ordering
Examples: 1, 2, 3 for leadership team hierarchy

Content Relationships

Search Engine Optimization

Meta Information

Meta Title - Format: “Author Name | Brand”
Meta Description - 150-160 characters including core topics
OG Image Override - Custom social sharing image if needed

Structured Data

Schema.org Person - Developer implementation
Includes name, jobTitle, image, sameAs links
Enhances search engine understanding

OG/Twitter Bio Override

Optional - Shorter bio for social previews
Customized for social media card constraints
Different from main Short Bio if needed

Branded Backgrounds

OG Image - Custom image for social sharing
Author headshot with branded background
Consistent preview appearance across platforms

How to Create and Manage Authors

Step-by-Step Creation

Create Author Document in Sanity Studio
Fill Core Information:
- Name (as it should appear on bylines)
- Role/Title (current position)
- Generate Slug (if author pages exist)
Upload Professional Headshot:
- 800×800px or larger
- Square or portrait format
- Add descriptive Alt Text
Write Biography Content:
- Short Bio (40-80 words for cards/bylines)
- Long Bio (rich text for author pages)
- Use third person unless brand uses first person
Add Social and Professional Links:
- Primary Link (website or LinkedIn)
- Social Links array with Provider + URL
- Test all links for accuracy
Configure Classification:
- Expertise/Tags (topics they write about)
- Affiliations (companies, organizations)
- Availability (speaking, advising, investing)
Set Display Options:
- Featured toggle for key contributors
- Visible/Active (on by default)
- Sort Order if using manual ordering
Complete SEO Fields:
- Meta Title and Description for author pages
- OG Image override if needed
Publish and Test:
- Verify author displays correctly on content
- Test social sharing previews

Using Authors in Content

Blog Posts

Author Field - Reference to Author document
Multiple authors supported with drag-to-reorder
Lead author typically appears first

Event Writeups

Speaker Profiles - Can reference Author documents
Reuses headshot, bio, and social links
Maintains consistency across event documentation

Team Pages

Team Member Profiles - May integrate with Author system
Single source of truth for staff information
Consistent presentation across site sections

Editorial Guidelines

Content Standards

Tone and Voice

Third Person Preferred - “Jane leads growth at…” unless brand uses first person uniformly
Relevance Focus - Tie bios to topics the author writes about
Professional Tone - Maintain credibility and expertise positioning

Credibility Building

Expertise Connection - Link bio to author’s content topics
Thought Leadership - Reference signature posts or talks in Related Content
Disclosures - Include investment or advisory disclosures where relevant

Content Maintenance

Regular Updates

Quarterly Reviews - Refresh bios and check for role changes
Link Validation - Test all social and professional links
Image Updates - Replace low-resolution images when available

Consistency Maintenance

Expertise Taxonomy - Use controlled vocabulary for tags
Image Standards - Maintain consistent crop/aspect across authors
Featured Rotation - Rotate featured authors to showcase different voices

Governance and Quality Assurance

Author Management Best Practices

Duplicate Prevention

One Document Per Person - Avoid creating duplicate author profiles
Merge Process - If duplicates exist, merge and update all references
Naming Convention - Use consistent full names across all authors

Lifecycle Management

Deactivation Process - Toggle Visible/Active off for departed team members
Historical Preservation - Keep documents to maintain byline integrity
Role Updates - Refresh titles and affiliations as they change

Quality Assurance Checklist

Content Quality

Bio Relevance - Expertise aligns with authored content
Professional Presentation - Consistent tone and formatting
Accuracy Verification - All facts, titles, and affiliations current

Technical Standards

Link Functionality - All URLs tested and working
Image Quality - High-resolution headshots with proper Alt text
SEO Completion - Meta fields completed for author pages

Pre-Publish Checklist

Before Publishing Author Profiles

Name, Slug (if applicable), and Role/Title are correct and current
Professional headshot uploaded with meaningful Alt Text description
Short Bio is concise, relevant, and written in consistent voice/person
Social links added (LinkedIn recommended) and all URLs tested for functionality
Expertise/Tags align with established site taxonomy and authored content
SEO fields completed for author pages (Meta Title, Description, OG Image)
Visible/Active toggle is on; Featured toggle set appropriately
All professional affiliations and disclosures included where relevant

Test Your Knowledge

What's the recommended word count for Short Bio?

Which social platform is most highly recommended for authors?

What should you do with author profiles for departed team members?

What person should author bios typically be written in?

How often should you review and update author profiles?

Integration with Other Components

Content Integration Points

Blog Posts

Byline Attribution - Author name, headshot, and short bio
Multiple Authors - Support for co-authored content
Author Pages - Link to full author profiles and related content

Event Writeups

Speaker Profiles - Reuse author data for event speakers
Consistent Presentation - Same headshots and bios across contexts
Social Attribution - Speaker social links and professional profiles

Team Pages

Staff Profiles - Integration with team member management
Role Consistency - Synchronized job titles across site sections
Biography Reuse - Same professional summaries in multiple contexts

Cross-Component Benefits

Consistency

Single Source of Truth - One profile, multiple display contexts
Professional Presentation - Consistent headshots and bios
Link Management - Centralized social media and professional links

Efficiency

Reduced Duplication - No need to recreate profiles for each context
Centralized Updates - Change once, update everywhere
Quality Assurance - Single point for maintaining author information

Quick Reference

Required Fields Summary

✅ Name - Full name for bylines
✅ Slug - URL identifier (if author pages enabled)
✅ Role/Title - Current professional position
✅ Headshot - Professional photo with Alt text
✅ Short Bio - 40-80 word summary for cards/bylines

Recommended Fields

⚠️ Primary Link - Website or LinkedIn profile
⚠️ Social Links - Professional social media profiles
⚠️ Expertise/Tags - Topics the author writes about
⚠️ Long Bio - Full profile for author pages

Content Guidelines

Third Person Voice - Unless brand consistently uses first person
Professional Focus - Expertise relevant to authored content
Regular Updates - Quarterly review and refresh cycle
Link Quality - Test all URLs for functionality

Image Specifications

Minimum Size - 800×800px or larger
Format - Square or portrait orientation
Background - Clean, professional backgrounds preferred
Alt Text - Always include descriptive Alt text

What did you learn?

How to create comprehensive author profiles with professional headshots and biographies
Social media integration strategies for building author credibility and reach
Editorial guidelines for maintaining consistent voice and professional presentation
Content relationship management between authors and their published work
SEO optimization techniques for author pages and content attribution
Governance practices for author lifecycle management and quality assurance
Integration patterns with other components like events, blog posts, and team pages
Best practices for maintaining author information accuracy and professional standards