How to Create Cron Jobs

Setting Up Cron Jobs

Cron jobs automatically run scripts or commands at scheduled times (e.g., daily backups, cleanup tasks).

Create a Cron Job

1. Log into cPanel
2. Go to Advanced > Cron Jobs
3. Enter email for notifications (optional)
4. Choose schedule:
   • Common Settings: Select preset (Once per day, week, month, etc.)
   • Or set custom:
     • Minute (0-59)
     • Hour (0-23)
     • Day (1-31)
     • Month (1-12)
     • Weekday (0-6, 0=Sunday)
5. Enter command to run
6. Click Add New Cron Job

Common Cron Examples

Daily PHP Script

/usr/local/bin/php /home/username/public_html/cron.php

Schedule: Once per day at midnight

WordPress Cron

wget -q -O - https://yourdomain.com/wp-cron.php?doing_wp_cron

Schedule: Every 15 minutes

Database Backup

/usr/local/bin/mysqldump -u username -p'password' database_name > /home/username/backup.sql

Schedule: Once per week

Cron Schedule Syntax

• * * * * * = Every minute
• 0 * * * * = Every hour
• 0 0 * * * = Daily at midnight
• 0 0 * * 0 = Weekly on Sunday
• 0 0 1 * * = Monthly on 1st

Managing Cron Jobs

Scroll down to see current cron jobs. Click Delete or Edit to manage them.

Troubleshooting

• Check email notifications for errors
• Verify file paths are absolute, not relative
• Ensure script has proper permissions (755)
• Test command manually via SSH first