How to Set Up & Manage WordPress Cron Jobs

wp_path="/path/to/wordpress/root" ; wp site list --field=url --deleted=0 --archived=0 --path=$wp_path | xargs -I {} wp cron event run --due-now --url="{}" --quiet --path=$wp_path

WordPress cron jobs are stored in the website’s database within the wp_options table, specifically under the ‘cron’ option name. Developers can retrieve these scheduled tasks using PHP functions like get_cron_array() or get_option('cron').Use the following command, replacing “/path/to/wordpress/root” with your actual WordPress root directory:You’ll also learn why relying solely on the default WP-Cron can lead to performance issues and missed scheduled tasks, and how it can impact everything from post-publishing to plugin updates. This interval-based approach provides flexibility in managing background processes while maintaining a relatively lightweight scheduling mechanism that doesn’t require extensive server resources.After configuring the necessary fields, you can click Save to activate the cron job on your WordPress website.

What Is WordPress Cron?

Look for the sidebar menu and select the Cronjob option. This will open the cron job configuration interface, where you’ll set up your scheduled task.You cannot completely delete WP-Cron as it’s a built-in WordPress system. However, you can disable it and use alternative cron solutions.

Why Do We Need WordPress Cron?

This post will provide a clear and concise explanation of WP-Cron – the built-in scheduling system for WordPress. We’ll break down how it works, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses, as well as how to disable it.Setting up a WordPress cron job through the RunCloud dashboard is straightforward and allows you to efficiently manage your website’s background tasks.

• Publishing scheduled posts
• Checking for software updates
• Performing routine maintenance
• Sending automated emails
• Synchronizing external services

There are multiple ways to do this – here are a few alternative methods.After setting up your server-side cron job, disable WordPress’s default page-load-triggered cron mechanism to avoid duplicate cron executions. You can do this easily by editing your wp-config.php file and adding the following line:

How Does WordPress Cron Work?

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1. Hourly Tasks: Executed approximately every 60 minutes
2. Twice Daily Tasks: Performed two times within a 24-hour period
3. Daily Tasks: Executed once every 24 hours
4. Weekly Tasks: Performed once every seven days

WordPress Cron (sometimes referred to as WP-Cron) is a specialized PHP-based scheduling system uniquely designed to manage background tasks within the WordPress ecosystem.If you are not using RunCloud (yet!) to manage and deploy your web applications, here’s how to set up server-side cron jobs in cPanel. Begin by logging in to your cPanel account with administrative credentials. Navigate to the Advanced section and locate the Cron Jobs management tool. This interface allows you to create and manage scheduled tasks that run independently of website traffic.For example, websites require numerous periodic tasks to be executed for proper functioning, such as:

Limitations of WordPress Cron

The WP-Cron mechanism can marginally increase page load times, as each page request requires checking and potentially executing scheduled tasks. This additional processing might create minor performance bottlenecks on high-traffic websites, especially if multiple complex tasks are scheduled simultaneously.

Visitor-Dependent Execution

wget -q -O - https://domain.com/wp-cron.php?doing_wp_cron >/dev/null 2>&1

Next, select the system user responsible for running the cron job, which is typically the web application’s owner.

Performance Considerations

Automating these mundane tasks reduces administrative overhead and maintains the smooth functioning of WordPress websites without constant human oversight.

How to Set Up A WordPress Cron Job

RunCloud revolutionizes WordPress website management by providing a comprehensive, user-friendly platform that addresses many of the challenges WordPress administrators face. What sets RunCloud apart is its holistic approach to web hosting and management. The platform provides powerful features designed specifically for WordPress users, including atomic deployments, easy staging environments, one-click backups, and advanced user management.WordPress Cron ensures these critical background processes occur automatically on a pre-defined schedule.

Setting Up WordPress Cron Jobs in RunCloud

define( 'DISABLE_WP_CRON', true );

Although cron jobs are scheduled to be executed at a given frequency, they don’t always get executed at the correct time. The WP-Cron mechanism triggers scheduled tasks during website page loads, which means the execution of background processes is intrinsically linked to user traffic and website interactions.

With advanced cron job handling, seamless deployments, and robust server management, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it.Before you begin, ensure you have access to your RunCloud dashboard and know the specific details of the web application where you’ll be implementing the cron job.

This means websites experiencing low traffic might encounter missed or delayed scheduled tasks. If a low-traffic website remains inactive for an extended period, it can result in missing critical security updates and fixes, leading to a security breach.Click on Add New Job. This will take you to a new screen where you’ll first need to provide a descriptive label that helps you identify the task’s purpose. Choose a name that clearly indicates the job’s function, such as “WordPress Scheduled Tasks” or “Daily Content Sync.”

Suggested read: How To Create Custom Nginx Configuration Easily Using RunCloud

For Single-Site WordPress Installations

Most WordPress sites function optimally with WP-Cron running approximately every 15 minutes. For more frequent scheduled tasks, you may need to adjust the interval to match your specific website requirements.The most critical drawback of WP-Cron is its complete dependence on website visitors.  Unlike traditional cron jobs that run at predetermined times regardless of website traffic, WP-Cron only gets triggered when a webpage loads. Scheduled tasks are not guaranteed to execute precisely at their intended times, which can be problematic for time-sensitive operations like publishing content, sending notifications, or performing critical maintenance tasks.After this, replace the domain.com with the domain name of your website, and enter the following script in the provided text box in your cPanel dashboard:

Start by logging in to your RunCloud dashboard and navigating to the server hosting your WordPress website.

How To Set Up Server-Side WordPress Cron Events in cPanel

These tools solve the WP-Cron challenges and address broader website management needs, making them ideal solutions for small businesses and enterprise-level websites seeking reliable, scalable hosting infrastructure.

Traditional UNIX cron jobs execute background tasks with precise system-scheduled timings; however, WP-Cron uses a more dynamic and WordPress-specific approach to task management. Although it has a similar name, it fundamentally differs from traditional cron jobs in its execution methodology. This provides a more flexible (potentially less reliable) task scheduling mechanism tailored specifically to the WordPress platform’s architectural requirements.

Simply click on the File Manager button in the left menu and select the file that needs to be edited. This will open a new browser tab where you can make the necessary changes and save the file. Once the file is saved, the changes will be implemented immediately on your WordPress website.In the Add New Cron Job section, you’ll encounter an interval configuration interface. The Common Settings dropdown offers predefined scheduling options that are good enough to meet most task requirements. Selecting ‘Once every 5 minutes’ for most WordPress websites provides an optimal balance between task frequency and server resource utilization.

• Triggers the WordPress cron process
• Silently executes the wp-cron.php file
• Suppresses email notifications with the >/dev/null 2>&1 directive

Despite its innovative design, WP-Cron has a few limitations that can impact website performance and reliability.

Disabling Default WordPress Cron

Due to the limitations above, many experienced website administrators and developers prefer replacing WordPress cron with server-level cron jobs. These traditional cron jobs offer more reliable, precise, and predictable task scheduling, independent of website traffic and page load dynamics.wp cron event run --path="/path/to/wordpress/root" --due-now

For Multisite WordPress Installations

Yes, WP-Cron is enabled by default in WordPress, as many core features depend on its scheduled job execution. You can manually enable or disable it by modifying the wp-config.php file with the DISABLE_WP_CRON constant.

Final Thoughts

For most WordPress cron jobs, you’ll want to use WP-CLI, which provides the most flexible approach to managing scheduled tasks. Select the option to write your command in the Vendor Binary dropdown. Depending on your WordPress installation type, you’ll use a specific command:WordPress provides several default time intervals for scheduling tasks. These default scheduling intervals allow website administrators to configure tasks with varying frequencies:Configuring and enabling cron jobs can be cumbersome and require some technical expertise, but RunCloud makes it easy and painless. Finally, we will provide practical, step-by-step instructions on setting up robust server-side cron jobs. Let’s get started!

WordPress WP-Cron FAQs