diff --git a/templates/website/src/collections/Posts/hooks/populateAuthors.ts b/templates/website/src/collections/Posts/hooks/populateAuthors.ts
index 7ddb6220a..40b4fe5b4 100644
--- a/templates/website/src/collections/Posts/hooks/populateAuthors.ts
+++ b/templates/website/src/collections/Posts/hooks/populateAuthors.ts
@@ -6,26 +6,31 @@ import { User } from 'src/payload-types'
 // GraphQL will not return mutated user data that differs from the underlying schema
 // So we use an alternative `populatedAuthors` field to populate the user data, hidden from the admin UI
 export const populateAuthors: CollectionAfterReadHook = async ({ doc, req, req: { payload } }) => {
-  if (doc?.authors) {
+  if (doc?.authors && doc?.authors?.length > 0) {
     const authorDocs: User[] = []
 
     for (const author of doc.authors) {
-      const authorDoc = await payload.findByID({
-        id: typeof author === 'object' ? author?.id : author,
-        collection: 'users',
-        depth: 0,
-        req,
-      })
+      try {
+        const authorDoc = await payload.findByID({
+          id: typeof author === 'object' ? author?.id : author,
+          collection: 'users',
+          depth: 0,
+        })
 
-      if (authorDoc) {
-        authorDocs.push(authorDoc)
+        if (authorDoc) {
+          authorDocs.push(authorDoc)
+        }
+
+        if (authorDocs.length > 0) {
+          doc.populatedAuthors = authorDocs.map((authorDoc) => ({
+            id: authorDoc.id,
+            name: authorDoc.name,
+          }))
+        }
+      } catch {
+        // swallow error
       }
     }
-
-    doc.populatedAuthors = authorDocs.map((authorDoc) => ({
-      id: authorDoc.id,
-      name: authorDoc.name,
-    }))
   }
 
   return doc
diff --git a/templates/website/src/payload-types.ts b/templates/website/src/payload-types.ts
index 4814fe771..1dfe387bc 100644
--- a/templates/website/src/payload-types.ts
+++ b/templates/website/src/payload-types.ts
@@ -1700,4 +1700,4 @@ export interface Auth {
 
 declare module 'payload' {
   export interface GeneratedTypes extends Config {}
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Checkbox/index.tsx b/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Checkbox/index.tsx
index 0d43f93cf..633d5db0d 100644
--- a/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Checkbox/index.tsx
+++ b/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Checkbox/index.tsx
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ export const Checkbox: React.FC<
           {label}
         </Label>
       </div>
-      {errors[name] && <Error />}
+      {errors[name] && <Error name={name} />}
     </Width>
   )
 }
diff --git a/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Country/index.tsx b/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Country/index.tsx
index f64e77515..9c85b7539 100644
--- a/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Country/index.tsx
+++ b/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Country/index.tsx
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ export const Country: React.FC<
         }}
         rules={{ required }}
       />
-      {errors[name] && <Error />}
+      {errors[name] && <Error name={name} />}
     </Width>
   )
 }
diff --git a/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Email/index.tsx b/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Email/index.tsx
index 6df5112dc..fc9fd2804 100644
--- a/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Email/index.tsx
+++ b/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Email/index.tsx
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ export const Email: React.FC<
         {...register(name, { pattern: /^\S[^\s@]*@\S+$/, required })}
       />
 
-      {errors[name] && <Error />}
+      {errors[name] && <Error name={name} />}
     </Width>
   )
 }
diff --git a/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Error/index.tsx b/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Error/index.tsx
index 94aa85134..a7b9e47e8 100644
--- a/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Error/index.tsx
+++ b/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Error/index.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,15 @@
-import * as React from 'react'
+'use client'
 
-export const Error: React.FC = () => {
-  return <div className="mt-2 text-red-500 text-sm">This field is required</div>
+import * as React from 'react'
+import { useFormContext } from 'react-hook-form'
+
+export const Error = ({ name }: { name: string }) => {
+  const {
+    formState: { errors },
+  } = useFormContext()
+  return (
+    <div className="mt-2 text-red-500 text-sm">
+      {(errors[name]?.message as string) || 'This field is required'}
+    </div>
+  )
 }
diff --git a/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Number/index.tsx b/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Number/index.tsx
index dc33d0f96..f26e54a44 100644
--- a/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Number/index.tsx
+++ b/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Number/index.tsx
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ export const Number: React.FC<
         type="number"
         {...register(name, { required })}
       />
-      {errors[name] && <Error />}
+      {errors[name] && <Error name={name} />}
     </Width>
   )
 }
diff --git a/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Select/index.tsx b/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Select/index.tsx
index f6de6346b..e6c159d73 100644
--- a/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Select/index.tsx
+++ b/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Select/index.tsx
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ export const Select: React.FC<
         }}
         rules={{ required }}
       />
-      {errors[name] && <Error />}
+      {errors[name] && <Error name={name} />}
     </Width>
   )
 }
diff --git a/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/State/index.tsx b/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/State/index.tsx
index f8215d1e1..29e49cae0 100644
--- a/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/State/index.tsx
+++ b/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/State/index.tsx
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ export const State: React.FC<
         }}
         rules={{ required }}
       />
-      {errors[name] && <Error />}
+      {errors[name] && <Error name={name} />}
     </Width>
   )
 }
diff --git a/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Text/index.tsx b/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Text/index.tsx
index f70a0fbec..be1e0ff12 100644
--- a/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Text/index.tsx
+++ b/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Text/index.tsx
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ export const Text: React.FC<
         )}
       </Label>
       <Input defaultValue={defaultValue} id={name} type="text" {...register(name, { required })} />
-      {errors[name] && <Error />}
+      {errors[name] && <Error name={name} />}
     </Width>
   )
 }
diff --git a/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Textarea/index.tsx b/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Textarea/index.tsx
index 9c596915e..ecb6e21af 100644
--- a/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Textarea/index.tsx
+++ b/templates/with-vercel-website/src/blocks/Form/Textarea/index.tsx
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ export const Textarea: React.FC<
         {...register(name, { required: required })}
       />
 
-      {errors[name] && <Error />}
+      {errors[name] && <Error name={name} />}
     </Width>
   )
 }
diff --git a/templates/with-vercel-website/src/collections/Posts/hooks/populateAuthors.ts b/templates/with-vercel-website/src/collections/Posts/hooks/populateAuthors.ts
index 7ddb6220a..40b4fe5b4 100644
--- a/templates/with-vercel-website/src/collections/Posts/hooks/populateAuthors.ts
+++ b/templates/with-vercel-website/src/collections/Posts/hooks/populateAuthors.ts
@@ -6,26 +6,31 @@ import { User } from 'src/payload-types'
 // GraphQL will not return mutated user data that differs from the underlying schema
 // So we use an alternative `populatedAuthors` field to populate the user data, hidden from the admin UI
 export const populateAuthors: CollectionAfterReadHook = async ({ doc, req, req: { payload } }) => {
-  if (doc?.authors) {
+  if (doc?.authors && doc?.authors?.length > 0) {
     const authorDocs: User[] = []
 
     for (const author of doc.authors) {
-      const authorDoc = await payload.findByID({
-        id: typeof author === 'object' ? author?.id : author,
-        collection: 'users',
-        depth: 0,
-        req,
-      })
+      try {
+        const authorDoc = await payload.findByID({
+          id: typeof author === 'object' ? author?.id : author,
+          collection: 'users',
+          depth: 0,
+        })
 
-      if (authorDoc) {
-        authorDocs.push(authorDoc)
+        if (authorDoc) {
+          authorDocs.push(authorDoc)
+        }
+
+        if (authorDocs.length > 0) {
+          doc.populatedAuthors = authorDocs.map((authorDoc) => ({
+            id: authorDoc.id,
+            name: authorDoc.name,
+          }))
+        }
+      } catch {
+        // swallow error
       }
     }
-
-    doc.populatedAuthors = authorDocs.map((authorDoc) => ({
-      id: authorDoc.id,
-      name: authorDoc.name,
-    }))
   }
 
   return doc