Hello,
Server side log should show what happens with cron job, why does it not execute, another idea that came up to my mind is – create a staging site, on another server (different IP address) and set up a cron job there, see will it work there?
One more idea, but a complicated one – use Zappier to trigger a cron job:
1. Using Webhooks by Zapier
Zapier offers a “Webhooks by Zapier” app that you can use to send HTTP requests. You can use this to trigger a specific URL on your WordPress site that is designed to run a cron job. Steps:
- Create a Zap: Start by creating a new Zap in Zapier.
- Trigger: Set up the trigger event for your Zap (e.g., a specific time, a form submission, or any other trigger available on Zapier).
- Action – Webhooks by Zapier:
- Choose “Webhooks by Zapier” as the action app.
- Select “POST” or “GET” as the action event (GET is simpler for triggering URLs).
- Configure Webhook:
- URL: Enter the URL of your WordPress endpoint that triggers the cron job.
- Method: Choose GET or POST based on your setup.
- If your endpoint requires authentication, you may need to include headers or other credentials.
- Test and Enable: Test the Zap to ensure it’s correctly triggering your WordPress cron job. Once it works, turn on your Zap.
2. Creating a WordPress Endpoint for Cron Job
To trigger a cron job in WordPress, you can create a custom endpoint in WordPress that runs your cron job code.Steps:
- Add a Custom Endpoint in WordPress:
- You can add a custom REST API endpoint or a custom URL handler in WordPress. For example, you can add the following code to your
functions.php or a custom plugin:
add_action('rest_api_init', function () { register_rest_route('custom/v1', '/trigger-cron', array( 'methods' => 'GET', 'callback' => 'run_custom_cron_job', 'permission_callback' => '__return_true', // Adjust this for security )); }); function run_custom_cron_job() { // Your cron job logic here // Example: wp_schedule_event(time(), 'hourly', 'your_custom_cron_event'); return new WP_REST_Response('Cron job triggered', 200); }
- Point Zapier to Your Endpoint: Use the URL of the custom endpoint (e.g.,
https://yourwebsite.com/wp-json/custom/v1/trigger-cron) in your Zapier Webhook action.
3. Security Considerations
- Authentication: Protect your endpoint using API keys, basic authentication, or OAuth if sensitive operations are performed.
- Permissions: Ensure that only authorized requests can trigger the cron job, either by checking for a secret key or using authentication headers.
Summary
While Zapier doesn’t directly trigger WordPress cron jobs, using Webhooks by Zapier allows you to create a custom setup to initiate your cron jobs remotely. This approach leverages WordPress REST API endpoints or other URL-based triggers to run the desired cron job.
I suggested Zappier because on that way it’s like if you click to run a cron job manually – and if it works when you click to run it manually, it will work when triggered with Zapier.
Kind regards.
