authordefined

Authordefined is an informal term used in digital content, software configuration, and metadata contexts to describe elements that are specified by the author rather than automatically generated or predefined by a system. An authordefined value or field reflects the author’s intent, preferences, or classifications and is typically contrasted with system-defined, default, or schema-defined values.

The term is a compound of author and defined and appears in technical writing and developer discussions to emphasize author-specified customization. It does not denote a formal standard or universally adopted specification.

In practice, authordefined metadata may include custom tags, keywords, or categories chosen by the author within a content management system. In software, an authordefined configuration option allows users to tailor behavior within supported plugins or extensions. In publishing pipelines, author-defined styles or templates can be applied to preserve the author’s voice and formatting choices.

Benefits of distinguishing authordefined elements include greater flexibility and author control over content presentation and metadata. However, because such values are not governed by fixed schemas, interoperability and portability can be limited unless systems provide mappings, validation, or documentation for how author-defined values should be interpreted across platforms.

See also: user-defined, customization, metadata, plugin architecture, configuration management.