How to Set Up a Cron Job in cPanel

Cron jobs are scheduled tasks that run automatically at set intervals — great for backups, cache clearing, WordPress cron, and more.

Step 1: Open Cron Jobs

Log in to cPanel → Advanced → Cron Jobs.

Step 2: Set the Schedule

Use the dropdown menus for a common schedule (every minute, hour, day, week, month) or enter custom values:

• Minute — 0-59
• Hour — 0-23 (24-hour format)
• Day — 1-31
• Month — 1-12
• Weekday — 0-7 (0 and 7 = Sunday)

Use * for "every."

Step 3: Enter the Command

Enter the full path to the script or command:

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

For WordPress, the built-in cron command is:

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

Click Add New Cron Job.

Common Schedule Examples

• Every day at 2 AM: Minute=0, Hour=2, Day=*, Month=*, Weekday=*
• Every Monday at 6 AM: Minute=0, Hour=6, Day=*, Month=*, Weekday=1

Tips

• Use full absolute paths — cron doesn't have the same PATH as your shell
• Send output to a log file: append >> /home/username/cron.log 2>&1
• Test your command manually in SSH before scheduling it