> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.hostinger.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.hostinger.com/websites/cron-jobs.md).

# Cron Jobs

Schedule automated tasks on Hostinger with cron jobs in hPanel, including cron syntax, common schedules, PHP script commands, and capturing output to logs.

Schedule commands or scripts to run automatically — emails, reports, cleanup, app tasks.

## Create a cron job

1. Open your website dashboard.
2. Go to **Cron Jobs**.
3. Click **Create Cron Job**.
4. Set the schedule and command.
5. Click **Save**.

## Cron syntax

Standard cron — five fields:

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

### Common schedules

| Schedule                 | Cron expression |
| ------------------------ | --------------- |
| Every minute             | `* * * * *`     |
| Every 5 minutes          | `*/5 * * * *`   |
| Every hour               | `0 * * * *`     |
| Daily at midnight        | `0 0 * * *`     |
| Daily at 8:00 AM         | `0 8 * * *`     |
| Every Monday at 9:00 AM  | `0 9 * * 1`     |
| First day of every month | `0 0 1 * *`     |

hPanel also has a visual schedule builder.

## Commands

Typically a PHP script, shell script, or system command.

### Run a PHP script

```bash
php /home/username/public_html/script.php
```

### WordPress cron

WordPress's built-in `wp-cron` runs on page visits. For reliability, disable it and use a real cron job:

1. Add to `wp-config.php`:

   ```
   define('DISABLE_WP_CRON', true);
   ```
2. Create a cron job:

   ```bash
   php /home/username/public_html/wp-cron.php
   ```

## Manage cron jobs

All jobs are listed in the **Cron Jobs** panel. Click to edit, or **Delete** to remove.

## Capturing output

Output is discarded by default. Redirect it to a log file for debugging:

```bash
php /home/username/public_html/script.php >> /home/username/cron.log 2>&1
```

***

*Last updated: July 21, 2026*