Monitor WordPress WP-Cron with CronRabbit

The Problem

WordPress WP-Cron depends on site traffic to trigger scheduled events. On low-traffic sites, crons may not run for hours or days.

The Solution

Disable WP-Cron's traffic-based trigger and use a real system cron entry. Add CronRabbit monitoring to verify execution.

The WP-Cron Problem

WP-Cron is triggered by page visits, not by time. On low-traffic sites, events like email sending, plugin updates, and scheduled posts can be delayed significantly.

The Fix

Disable WP-Cron in wp-config.php and set up a real cron job. Add CronRabbit monitoring to the cron entry.

Code Examples

Disable WP-Cron in wp-config.php

PHP

// Add to wp-config.php
define('DISABLE_WP_CRON', true);

System cron with monitoring

Bash

# Run WP-Cron every 5 minutes via system cron
*/5 * * * * curl -fsS -m 10 --retry 5 --retry-all-errors https://example.com/wp-cron.php > /dev/null && curl -fsS -m 10 --retry 5 --retry-all-errors https://ping.cronrabbit.com/wpcron-id

Related Guides

PHP

Ready to Monitor Your Cron Jobs?

Create your free account and add your first monitor in under 5 minutes. No credit card required.