Title: WP-Cron Control Author: Automattic Published: August 1, 2011 Last modified: June 7, 2017 --- Search plugins This plugin **hasn’t been tested with the latest 3 major releases of WordPress**. It may no longer be maintained or supported and may have compatibility issues when used with more recent versions of WordPress. ![](https://s.w.org/plugins/geopattern-icon/wp-cron-control.svg) # WP-Cron Control By [Automattic](https://profiles.wordpress.org/automattic/) [Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/wp-cron-control.0.7.1.zip) * [Details](https://twd.wordpress.org/plugins/wp-cron-control/#description) * [Reviews](https://twd.wordpress.org/plugins/wp-cron-control/#reviews) * [Installation](https://twd.wordpress.org/plugins/wp-cron-control/#installation) * [Development](https://twd.wordpress.org/plugins/wp-cron-control/#developers) [Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wp-cron-control/) ## Description This plugin allows you to take control over the execution of cron jobs. It’s mainly useful for sites that either don’t get enough comments to ensure a frequent execution of wp-cron or for sites where the execution of cron via regular methods can cause race conditions resulting in multiple execution of wp-cron at the same time. It can also help when you run into posts that missed their schedule. This plugin implements a secret parameter and ensures that cron jobs are only executed when this parameter is existing. ### Limitations This plugin performs a `remove_action( 'sanitize_comment_cookies', 'wp_cron' );` call in order to disable the spawning of new cron processes via the regular WordPress method. If `wp_cron` is hooked in an other action or called directly this might cause trouble. ## Screenshots * [[ * Settings screen to enable/disable various features. ## Installation * Install either via the WordPress.org plugin directory, or by uploading the files to your server. * Activate the Plugin and ensure that you enable the feature in the plugins’ settings screen * Follow the instructions on the plugins’ settings screen in order to set up a cron job that either calls `php wp-cron-control.php http://blog.address secret_string` or `wget -q "http://blog.address/wp-cron.php?doing_wp_cron&secret_string"` * If you like to have a global secret string you can define it in your wp-config. php by adding `define( 'WP_CRON_CONTROL_SECRET', my_secret_string' );` ## FAQ Installation Instructions * Install either via the WordPress.org plugin directory, or by uploading the files to your server. * Activate the Plugin and ensure that you enable the feature in the plugins’ settings screen * Follow the instructions on the plugins’ settings screen in order to set up a cron job that either calls `php wp-cron-control.php http://blog.address secret_string` or `wget -q "http://blog.address/wp-cron.php?doing_wp_cron&secret_string"` * If you like to have a global secret string you can define it in your wp-config. php by adding `define( 'WP_CRON_CONTROL_SECRET', my_secret_string' );` ## Reviews ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/8dc900537b9871880e1498308492e1d081a800af44093cbf0b5163904460951d? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[You’re on your own](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/youre-on-your-own-2/)󠁿 [taropaa](https://profiles.wordpress.org/taropaa/) May 29, 2019 This sometimes works. Unfortunately, if you have any questions about it or issues with it, you won’t hear back from the devs 🙁 In my experience, it does not work in WP multisite 5.2.1 if you are trying to trigger the cron via the PHP command. The wget command seems to work fine, but the best part of this plugin was to allow it to trigger through the PHP server. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6092bf2008536337daf84359d22ef42eb9cbed4a9b16d1ea0cb0609da96ada1d? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Very good and needed](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/very-good-and-needed/)󠁿 [jurasjo](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jurasjo/) July 14, 2018 Very good and needed ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/5b838e5e4044706364cbafed9cfa78137467f515ab00973dcb0228aed457caac? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Doesn’t Work](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/doesnt-work-803/)󠁿 [pasqualerose](https://profiles.wordpress.org/pasqualerose/) September 27, 2016 I tried it, doesn’t work. Scheduled post still don’t post. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/2673f279f9c2e2de2d5aecded7e9e24fc9e37a09d797a319d2fb6afe81b4fc49? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[Awesome Plugin](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/awesome-plugin-2109/)󠁿 [networkwebmasters](https://profiles.wordpress.org/networkwebmasters/) September 3, 2016 Awesome Plugin, i am using this plugin on all my sites from 2 years, it works perfectly 🙂 ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/98dd2bc99755090197ac01393f86ce2b296c092157c9864caf4ed3cb887d0f81? s=60&d=retro&r=g) ### 󠀁[use custom function run in cron job](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/use-custom-function-run-in-cron-job/)󠁿 [kumarajay367](https://profiles.wordpress.org/kumarajay367/) September 3, 2016 1 reply Hi, greate plugin!. but how to call my own custom function in this plugin. Any help? [ Read all 10 reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wp-cron-control/reviews/) ## Contributors & Developers “WP-Cron Control” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin. Contributors * [ Automattic ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/automattic/) * [ Thorsten Ott ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/tott/) * [ Erick Hitter ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ethitter/) * [ Mohammad Jangda ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/batmoo/) [Translate “WP-Cron Control” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/wp-cron-control) ### Interested in development? [Browse the code](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-cron-control/), check out the [SVN repository](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/wp-cron-control/), or subscribe to the [development log](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/wp-cron-control/) by [RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/wp-cron-control/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss). ## Changelog #### Version 0.7.1 * Security hardening (better escaping, sanitization of saved values) * Update plugin to use core’s updated cron hook #### Version 0.7 * Remove unneeded use of `$wpdb->prepare()` that triggered PHP warnings because a second argument wasn’t provided. * Update interface text to be translatable. #### Version 0.6 * Make sure that validated wp-cron-control requests also are valid in wp-cron.php by setting the global $doing_wp_cron value #### Version 0.5 * Adjustments for improved cron locking introduced in WordPress 3.3 https://core. trac.wordpress.org/changeset/18659 #### Version 0.4 * Implementing feedback from Yoast http://yoast.com/wp-plugin-review/wp-cron-control/, fixing button classes, more inline comments #### Version 0.3 * Added option to enable extra check that would search for missing jobs for scheduled posts and add them if necessary. #### Version 0.2 * Added capability check in settings page #### Version 0.1 * Initial version of this plugin. ## Meta * Version **0.7.1** * Last updated **8 years ago** * Active installations **1,000+** * WordPress version ** 3.4 or higher ** * Tested up to **4.8.28** * Language * [English (US)](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-cron-control/) * Tags * [cron](https://twd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/cron/)[cron jobs](https://twd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/cron-jobs/) [post missed schedule](https://twd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/post-missed-schedule/) [scheduled posts](https://twd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/scheduled-posts/)[wp cron](https://twd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/wp-cron/) * [Advanced View](https://twd.wordpress.org/plugins/wp-cron-control/advanced/) ## Ratings 3.5 out of 5 stars. * [ 4 5-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wp-cron-control/reviews/?filter=5) * [ 2 4-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wp-cron-control/reviews/?filter=4) * [ 1 3-star review ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wp-cron-control/reviews/?filter=3) * [ 1 2-star review ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wp-cron-control/reviews/?filter=2) * [ 2 1-star reviews ](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wp-cron-control/reviews/?filter=1) [Add my review](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wp-cron-control/reviews/#new-post) [See all reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wp-cron-control/reviews/) ## Contributors * [ Automattic ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/automattic/) * [ Thorsten Ott ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/tott/) * [ Erick Hitter ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ethitter/) * [ Mohammad Jangda ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/batmoo/) ## Support Got something to say? Need help? [View support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/wp-cron-control/)