Managing Cron Jobs in cPanel
Step-by-step guide to automate tasks using Cron Jobs in cPanel.
Cron Job Basics
- In cPanel, open Cron Jobs located under Advanced.
- Cron jobs let you run commands or scripts on a schedule — every minute, hour, day, etc.
Tip: Use cron jobs for backups, cleanup tasks, maintenance scripts, or automation.
Creating a Cron Job
- Set the email for receiving cron output (optional but useful for debugging).
- Select a predefined schedule (e.g., daily, twice per week) or define custom timing.
- Enter the exact command you want to run. Example:
php /home/user/public_html/backup.php - Click Add New Cron Job.
Scheduling Commands
You can manually set minute, hour, day, month, and weekday fields — or choose a preset.
Custom cron format:
* * * * *
(minute hour day month weekday)Viewing Cron Logs
- You may receive email output depending on your settings.
- Advanced users can check server logs at: /var/log/cron
Example Tasks
- Daily MySQL backup:
mysqldump -u dbuser -p'password' dbname > /home/user/dbbackup.sql - Trigger WordPress cron externally:
wget -q -O - https://example.com/wp-cron.php
Checklist
- [ ] Open cPanel → Cron Jobs - [ ] Set notification email - [ ] Choose timing or custom schedule - [ ] Enter correct command path - [ ] Test the command manually first - [ ] Monitor cron logs or email output© cPanel Cron Jobs Guide
