Inviting Co-Authors to Collaborate

Pro. This feature requires WB Member Blog Pro. The free plugin must be installed and active first. See the Pro index for every Pro module.

Learn how to invite other members to collaborate on your blog posts. Co-authoring lets multiple writers work together, share credit, and create better content.

What You’ll Learn

How to invite collaborators to your post What collaborators can see and do Managing pending invitations Maximum co-authors limit

Step-by-Step: Invite a Co-Author

Step 1: Create or Edit Your Post

Start by creating a new post or opening an existing draft that you want to collaborate on.

Step 2: Find the Co-Authors Section

Look for the Co-Authors section in your post form. This appears below the main content editor.

Step 3: Search for Members

Click on Add Co-Author to open the member search. Start typing a member’s name or username to find them.

Step 4: Send the Invitation

Click Invite next to the member you want to add. They’ll receive:

An email notification (if enabled) An on-site BuddyPress notification

Step 5: Wait for Acceptance

The invitation shows as “Pending” until the member responds. They can accept or decline.

What Happens After They Accept

Once a member accepts your invitation:

They can edit the post content They can upload and change images The post appears in their dashboard Their name will appear in the byline when published

Invitation Status

StatusMeaningPendingWaiting for the member to respondAcceptedMember has joined as co-authorDeclinedMember chose not to collaborateExpiredInvitation timed out (default: 7 days)

Maximum Co-Authors

By default, you can have up to 5 co-authors per post (configurable by site admin). This count includes:

Accepted co-authors Pending invitations

If you need more collaborators, ask your site administrator to increase the limit.

Canceling an Invitation

Changed your mind? You can cancel a pending invitation:

Go to your post’s Co-Authors section Find the pending invitation Click Cancel Invitation

The member will no longer see the invitation option.

Removing a Co-Author

As the primary author, you can remove co-authors who have already accepted:

Open the post for editing Find the co-author in the list Click Remove

The removed member will be notified and will no longer have edit access.

Tips for Successful Collaboration

Communicate first: Message your potential co-author before sending the formal invitation Set expectations: Discuss who writes what sections Don’t overload: More co-authors doesn’t always mean better content Use post locking: The system prevents simultaneous editing conflicts

Troubleshooting

IssueSolutionCan’t find memberCheck spelling; they must be a site memberCan’t send invitationYou may have reached the maximum co-authors limitMember didn’t receive inviteCheck their email spam; verify notifications are enabled