---
title: How do I set up a cron job in DirectAdmin?
description: "A cron job runs a command or script automatically on a schedule. It is useful for tasks like sending reports, clearing caches, or triggering WordPress scheduled events reliably. Here is how to create one in DirectAdmin. ## Before you start…"
url: "https://disoh.com/fi/support/how-do-i-set-up-a-cron-job-in-directadmin/"
updated: "2026-07-22"
category: Webhosting
---

# How do I set up a cron job in DirectAdmin?

A cron job runs a command or script automatically on a schedule. It is useful for tasks like sending reports, clearing caches, or triggering WordPress scheduled events reliably. Here is how to create one in DirectAdmin.

## Before you start

- Know the exact command or script path you want to run.
- Decide how often it should run.

## Step-by-step: create a cron job

1. Log in to DirectAdmin (usually *yourdomain.com:2222*).
2. Go to **Advanced Features** and click **Cron Jobs**.
3. Set the schedule using the minute, hour, day, month, and weekday fields.
4. Enter the command to run in the command field.
5. Click **Add**.

## Understanding the schedule fields

- **Minute:** 0 to 59.
- **Hour:** 0 to 23.
- **Day of month:** 1 to 31.
- **Month:** 1 to 12.
- **Day of week:** 0 to 6 (0 is Sunday).
- An asterisk (\*) means "every".

Example: *0 3 \* \* \** runs a task every day at 3:00 AM.

## Common WordPress example

To run WordPress cron reliably, you can call wp-cron on a schedule, for example every 15 minutes, using a command your developer or our support team can provide for your setup.

## Tips

- Avoid scheduling heavy tasks too frequently.
- Send output to a log file so you can check results.
- Test the command manually first if possible.

## Troubleshooting

- **Job not running:** re-check the command path and schedule.
- **Too many emails:** redirect output to a log instead of email.
- **Permission errors:** confirm the script is executable.

## Need help?

Cron syntax can be confusing. Contact our support team on live chat and we will help you set the correct schedule.