Most release notes look more exciting than the work they describe. This one is the opposite.

Version 1.4.0 of Popular Authors adds two features that are fairly modest on paper. Still, both solve the kind of friction I keep running into when working on WordPress sites: not having enough context around author performance, and not having that information where I need it.

I built Popular Authors to surface meaningful author data without turning it into a reporting exercise. With this release, I wanted to make that data a little more visible and useful in day-to-day admin work.

Display post counts for the Popular Authors

The first change is a new option to display each author’s post count directly in the Popular Authors’ list. This works across the block, shortcode or template tags.

Rankings on their own can be slightly too abstract. Seeing that one author is performing well is useful. Knowing whether that performance comes from five posts or fifty gives the number more shape.

This is one of those changes that only looks boring until you need it.

If you use author blocks on editorial sites, membership sites, or multi-author publications, the post count gives readers and site managers an immediate sense of scale. It adds context without opening your analytics tool or digging through another dashboard.

A dashboard widget for popular authors

The second addition is a new dashboard widget that displays popular authors directly in the WordPress admin area.

Some information is more useful when it meets you early.

If you are managing a content-heavy site, the dashboard remains the quickest way to get your bearings. A widget that shows your popular authors gives you a fast snapshot of who is getting attention, without forcing you to open a separate settings page or run a report.

I like features that reduce context switching. This one does that quietly.

Upgrade notes

1. Update Popular Authors to version 1.4.0.
2. Edit your Popular Authors block or shortcode if you want to enable the new post count display option.
3. Visit the WordPress dashboard to confirm the new widget appears as expected.
4. If you use any custom styling around block output, give the front end a quick check after updating.

What’s next

I want to keep Popular Authors useful without making it fussy.

That usually means small, practical improvements that help you surface better information in more places, while keeping setup and maintenance predictable. I would rather add a feature you actually use than three that read well in a changelog.