feat: add author pages listing everything an author wrote

docs/content/docs/configuration.mdx

@@ -363,6 +363,39 @@ analytics:
 | `enabled` | `boolean` | Enable/disable analytics | `false` |
 | `googleAnalytics.measurementId` | `string` | Google Analytics measurement ID | — |
 
+### authors
+
+Optional registry of the people who write your docs. Pages reference an entry by
+its key in their `authors` frontmatter, so the details live in one place.
+
+```yaml
+authors:
+  jane:
+    name: Jane Doe
+    bio: Writes about distributed systems.
+    avatar: /team/jane.png
+    url: https://github.com/jane
+    email: jane@example.com
+```
+
+| Field | Type | Description | Default |
+|-------|------|-------------|---------|
+| `name` | `string` | **Required.** Display name | — |
+| `bio` | `string` | Short description shown on the author's page | — |
+| `avatar` | `string` | Image path for the avatar; initials are used without it | — |
+| `url` | `string` | Profile link, shown on the author's page | — |
+| `email` | `string` | Contact address, shown on the author's page with `mailto:` | — |
+
+```yaml
+# page.mdx frontmatter
+authors: [jane]
+```
+
+A frontmatter string that matches no key is still valid — it renders as a plain
+name, so occasional contributors need no registry entry. See
+[Frontmatter](/docs/frontmatter) for the field itself, and browse the people
+writing a site at `/authors`.
+
 ### telemetry
 
 Prometheus metrics export via OpenTelemetry. Served on a separate port.

docs/content/docs/frontmatter.mdx

@@ -105,10 +105,22 @@ A single author can be written without the list:
 authors: Jane Doe <jane@example.com>
 ```
 
-Authors appear as a byline under the page title, in the page's `Article`
-structured data, and on the generated social card. When an email is given, the
-byline links to it with `mailto:`. The avatar beside each name is drawn from the
-author's initials — no image is fetched.
+Authors appear as a byline on the page, in the page's `Article` structured data,
+and on the generated social card. Every author also gets a page at
+`/authors/<slug>` listing everything they wrote, and byline names link there. Any
+`url` or `email` an author has is shown on that page rather than in the byline.
+
+A byline shows two authors at most, collapsing the rest into a `+N` counter that
+names them on hover. The avatar beside each name is drawn from the author's
+initials unless the author has an `avatar` in the
+[authors registry](/docs/configuration).
+
+Registry keys work here too, and bring the author's bio, avatar, and profile
+link along with them:
+
+```yaml
+authors: [jane]
+```
 
 ## Navigation Ordering
 

examples/basic/chronicle.yaml

@@ -13,6 +13,13 @@ content:
     label: Docs
     icon: /icons/docs.svg
 
+authors:
+  jane:
+    name: Jane Doe
+    bio: Writes about the parts of the system nobody else wants to document.
+    url: https://github.com/jane
+    email: jane@example.com
+
 theme:
   name: default
 

examples/basic/content/docs/components.mdx

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 title: Components
 description: Live demo of Chronicle's built-in MDX components
 order: 3
+authors: [jane]
 ---
 
 # Components

examples/basic/content/docs/getting-started.mdx

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ title: Getting Started
 description: Quick start guide for Chronicle
 order: 1
 authors:
-  - Jane Doe <jane@example.com>
+  - jane
   - Sam Patel
 ---
 

examples/versioned/chronicle.yaml

@@ -2,6 +2,13 @@ site:
   title: Versioned Example
   description: Multi-content + multi-version sample
 
+authors:
+  jane:
+    name: Jane Doe
+    bio: Writes about the parts of the system nobody else wants to document.
+    url: https://github.com/jane
+    email: jane@example.com
+
 theme:
   name: paper
 

examples/versioned/content/dev/api.mdx

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 ---
 title: API notes
 order: 2
+authors: [jane, Sam Patel, Ana Ruiz <ana@example.com>]
 ---
 
 # Dev API notes — latest

examples/versioned/content/docs/guide.mdx

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ---
 title: Guide
 order: 2
-authors: Jane Doe <jane@example.com>
+authors: [jane]
 ---
 
 # Guide — latest docs

packages/chronicle/src/cli/commands/static-generate.ts

@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ import { isAnimatedImage } from '@/lib/image-animation';
 import { getAssetVersion } from '@/lib/asset-version';
 import type { VersionContext } from '@/lib/version-source';
 import type { Frontmatter, PageNavLink } from '@/types';
-import { normalizeAuthorList, parseAuthors } from '@/lib/authors';
+import { buildAuthorIndex } from '@/lib/author-index';
+import { normalizeAuthorList, resolveAuthors } from '@/lib/authors';
 
 export interface StaticGenerateOptions {
   projectRoot: string;
@@ -439,6 +440,21 @@ async function generatePageDataFiles(
   }
 }
 
+/** `/data/authors.json` — what `/api/authors` serves in server mode. */
+async function generateAuthorsData(
+  pages: ScannedPage[],
+  config: ChronicleConfig,
+  outputDir: string,
+): Promise<void> {
+  const index = buildAuthorIndex(
+    pages.map(page => ({ url: page.url, frontmatter: page.frontmatter })),
+    config,
+  );
+  const dataDir = path.join(outputDir, 'data');
+  await fs.mkdir(dataDir, { recursive: true });
+  await fs.writeFile(path.join(dataDir, 'authors.json'), JSON.stringify(index));
+}
+
 async function generateSearchIndex(
   pages: ScannedPage[],
   config: ChronicleConfig,
@@ -633,7 +649,7 @@ async function generateOgImages(
   for (const page of pages) {
     const title = page.frontmatter.title;
     const description = page.frontmatter.description ?? '';
-    const authors = parseAuthors(page.frontmatter.authors)
+    const authors = resolveAuthors(page.frontmatter.authors, config)
       .map(author => author.name)
       .join(', ');
     const slugKey = page.slugs.join(',') || 'index';
@@ -1054,6 +1070,9 @@ export async function generateStaticSite(options: StaticGenerateOptions): Promis
   console.log(chalk.gray('  Generating page data files...'));
   await generatePageDataFiles(pages, navMap, outputDir);
 
+  console.log(chalk.gray('  Generating authors data...'));
+  await generateAuthorsData(pages, config, outputDir);
+
   console.log(chalk.gray('  Generating search index...'));
   await generateSearchIndex(pages, config, outputDir, projectRoot);
 

packages/chronicle/src/components/common/author-byline.module.css

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 .byline {
-  display: flex;
+  display: inline-flex;
   flex-wrap: wrap;
   align-items: center;
   gap: var(--rs-space-4);
@@ -21,3 +21,32 @@ a.name:hover {
   color: var(--rs-color-foreground-base-primary);
   text-decoration: underline;
 }
+
+.more {
+  font-size: var(--rs-font-size-small);
+  color: var(--rs-color-foreground-base-tertiary);
+  cursor: default;
+}
+
+/* Inherits the surrounding meta line's font, size, and color. */
+.inlineByline {
+  display: inline-flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: var(--rs-space-4);
+  font: inherit;
+  letter-spacing: inherit;
+  color: inherit;
+}
+
+.inlineByline .more {
+  font: inherit;
+  letter-spacing: inherit;
+  color: inherit;
+}
+
+.inlineByline .name {
+  font: inherit;
+  letter-spacing: inherit;
+  color: inherit;
+  text-transform: uppercase;
+}

packages/chronicle/src/components/common/author-byline.tsx

@@ -1,39 +1,71 @@
 'use client'
 
 import { Avatar, getAvatarColor } from '@raystack/apsara'
-import { authorInitials, parseAuthors } from '@/lib/authors'
+import { Link } from 'react-router'
+import type { Author } from '@/types'
+import { authorInitials, resolveAuthors } from '@/lib/authors'
+import { usePageContext } from '@/lib/page-context'
+import { authorPageUrl } from '@/lib/route-resolver'
 import styles from './author-byline.module.css'
 
+/** Beyond this, the remainder is collapsed into a `+N` counter. */
+const MAX_VISIBLE = 2
+
 interface AuthorBylineProps {
   /** Raw `authors` frontmatter entries — `Name <email>` or a bare name. */
   authors?: string[]
+  /**
+   * `block` stands on its own under a page title; `inline` sits in a meta line
+   * beside other text and inherits its typography.
+   */
+  variant?: 'block' | 'inline'
   className?: string
 }
 
-/** Avatar-and-name byline for the authors declared in a page's frontmatter. */
-export function AuthorByline({ authors, className }: AuthorBylineProps) {
-  const parsed = parseAuthors(authors)
+/**
+ * The name, linked to the author's page. Their `url` and `email` are left to that
+ * page rather than competing with it here.
+ */
+function AuthorName({ author, href }: { author: Author; href: string | null }) {
+  if (!href) return <span className={styles.name}>{author.name}</span>
+  return (
+    <Link className={styles.name} to={href}>
+      {author.name}
+    </Link>
+  )
+}
+
+/** Byline for the authors declared in a page's frontmatter. */
+export function AuthorByline({ authors, variant = 'block', className }: AuthorBylineProps) {
+  const { config, version } = usePageContext()
+  const parsed = resolveAuthors(authors, config)
   if (parsed.length === 0) return null
 
+  const wrapper = variant === 'inline' ? styles.inlineByline : styles.byline
+  const shown = parsed.slice(0, MAX_VISIBLE)
+  const hidden = parsed.slice(MAX_VISIBLE)
+
   return (
-    <div className={className ? `${styles.byline} ${className}` : styles.byline}>
-      {parsed.map((author, index) => (
-        <span className={styles.author} key={`${author.name}-${index}`}>
+    <span className={className ? `${wrapper} ${className}` : wrapper}>
+      {shown.map((author, index) => (
+        <span className={styles.author} key={`${author.slug}-${index}`}>
           <Avatar
             size={2}
+            radius='full'
+            src={author.avatar}
+            alt={author.avatar ? author.name : undefined}
             fallback={authorInitials(author.name)}
             color={getAvatarColor(author.name)}
-            aria-hidden='true'
+            aria-hidden={author.avatar ? undefined : 'true'}
           />
-          {author.email ? (
-            <a className={styles.name} href={`mailto:${author.email}`}>
-              {author.name}
-            </a>
-          ) : (
-            <span className={styles.name}>{author.name}</span>
-          )}
+          <AuthorName author={author} href={authorPageUrl(author.slug, config, version)} />
         </span>
       ))}
-    </div>
+      {hidden.length > 0 && (
+        <span className={styles.more} title={hidden.map(author => author.name).join(', ')}>
+          {`+${hidden.length}`}
+        </span>
+      )}
+    </span>
   )
 }