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Site Cron and Scheduled Tasks

Published · Last updated: May 2026 · 3 min read

Who this is for

Users who need to run scheduled tasks for their site — for example, WordPress's WP-Cron, database cleanup jobs, cache warming scripts, or custom PHP/shell scripts.

Prerequisites

  • Site is running with SSH connectivity.
  • Site app type supports cron (WordPress and Custom app types). Static sites do not have cron.

Where Cron Jobs Live

Cron jobs are managed at the server level, not at the site level. The site detail page has no Cron tab — you manage cron through the server's Cron tab (server detail → Cron tab). Jobs run as the cloudpilot user on a schedule you define using standard cron syntax. You reference your site's document root in the command itself.

Cron Schedule Syntax

Cron jobs use 5-field syntax:

* * * * *  command
│ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ └── Day of week (0–7, where 0 and 7 = Sunday)
│ │ │ └──── Month (1–12)
│ │ └────── Day of month (1–31)
│ └──────── Hour (0–23)
└────────── Minute (0–59)

Common examples:

ScheduleMeaning
*/5 * * * *Every 5 minutes
0 * * * *Every hour at :00
0 2 * * *Every day at 2:00 AM
0 2 * * 0Every Sunday at 2:00 AM
0 0 1 * *First day of every month at midnight

How to Add a Cron Job

  1. Open the server detail for the server hosting your site → Cron tab.
  2. Click + Add Cron Job.
  3. Fill in:
  • Schedule: cron expression (e.g., */15 * * * *)
  • Command: the shell command to run (e.g., php /var/www/myblog/wp-cron.php)
  1. Click Save.

CloudAIPilot writes the entry to the cloudpilot user's crontab on the server.

WordPress WP-Cron Setup

By default, WordPress uses a virtual cron that runs when users visit the site. For more reliable scheduling (especially on low-traffic sites), disable the built-in WP-Cron and use a real cron job:

  1. Add define('DISABLE_WP_CRON', true); to wp-config.php via SFTP or the server Terminal tab.
  2. Add a cron job with the schedule */15 * * * * and command:
   php /var/www/[your-site-docroot]/wp-cron.php > /dev/null 2>&1

How to Edit or Delete a Cron Job

  1. In the server's Cron tab, find the job.
  2. Click Edit to modify the schedule or command.
  3. Click Delete (trash icon) to remove it.

Changes take effect immediately — CloudAIPilot updates the server's crontab in real time.

What Success Looks Like

The cron job appears in the list. The server's crontab is updated. For WP-Cron, WordPress events (scheduled posts, email notifications) run reliably on schedule.

Common Issues and Fixes

IssueLikely causeFix
Cron tab not visible on server detailServer is not a full-management serverThe Cron tab is only present on full-management servers. Verify your server plan includes full management.
Cron job runs but command failsWrong path or missing executableTest the command manually in the server Terminal tab.
Output or errors from cron jobCron output goes to server mailRedirect output: append > /dev/null 2>&1 to silence, or >> /var/log/my-cron.log 2>&1 to log it.
WP-Cron still not runningDISABLE_WP_CRON not setVerify wp-config.php has define('DISABLE_WP_CRON', true);

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