External Cron

Overview

External Cron uses your server's system cron (cPanel, CLI, or other cron service) to trigger PrimeLink's background processing. This provides more reliable and timely execution compared to WordPress Cron, which depends on site traffic.

External Cron is ideal for sites with low traffic, when you need precise timing, or when WordPress Cron isn't reliable enough for your needs.

Why Use External Cron?

Advantages

When to Use

Consider External Cron if:

• Your site has low traffic
• You need precise scheduling
• WordPress Cron is unreliable on your server
• You have server access to configure cron
• You need faster background processing

Setting Up External Cron

Step 1: Enable External Cron Mode

1. Go to PrimeLink → Settings
2. Navigate to Automation tab
3. Find "Cron Mode" section
4. Select "External Cron (cPanel/CLI)" from dropdown
5. Save settings

Step 2: Get Your Cron Token

PrimeLink will generate a cron token automatically:

• Token is displayed in the settings
• Copy this token - you'll need it for the cron URL
• Keep it secret - it authorizes cron requests
• You can regenerate it if needed

Step 3: Get Your Cron URL

PrimeLink provides a cron URL to call:

• URL is displayed in settings
• Format: https://yoursite.com/wp-json/primelink/v1/import/cron-tick?token=YOUR_TOKEN
• Copy this URL for your cron job

Configuring Server Cron

cPanel Cron Jobs

If you use cPanel:

1. Log into cPanel
2. Go to Advanced → Cron Jobs
3. Add a new cron job
4. Set schedule (e.g., every minute: * * * * *)
5. Command: curl -s "YOUR_CRON_URL" > /dev/null 2>&1
6. Or use: wget -q -O - "YOUR_CRON_URL" > /dev/null 2>&1
7. Save the cron job

Command Line (SSH)

If you have SSH access:

1. SSH into your server
2. Edit crontab: crontab -e
3. Add line: * * * * * curl -s "YOUR_CRON_URL" > /dev/null 2>&1
4. Save and exit

Cron Schedule

Recommended schedule:

Cron URL Format

Full URL Structure

The cron URL follows this format:

Components

• Base URL: Your WordPress site URL
• Endpoint: /wp-json/primelink/v1/import/cron-tick
• Token Parameter: ?token=YOUR_TOKEN

Example

Testing External Cron

Manual Test

Test your cron URL manually:

1. Copy your cron URL
2. Open it in a browser or use curl
3. You should see: {"message":"Cron ticked all running imports."}
4. Check your imports/exports to verify they're processing

Using cURL

Test from command line:

Using wget

Test with wget:

Verify It's Working

After setting up cron:

• Start an import or export with iterative processing
• Wait for the cron to run (based on your schedule)
• Check import/export progress
• Verify it's processing in iterations

Security Considerations

Cron Token

Best Practices

• Use strong, randomly generated tokens
• Don't commit tokens to version control
• Monitor cron access logs
• Regenerate tokens periodically

Troubleshooting

Cron Not Running

403 Forbidden Error

Jobs Not Processing

Switching Back to WordPress Cron

How to Switch

To switch back to WordPress Cron:

1. Go to PrimeLink → Settings
2. Navigate to Automation tab
3. Select "WordPress Cron (default)" from dropdown
4. Save settings
5. Remove or disable your server cron job

No Data Loss

Switching between modes:

• Doesn't affect existing imports/exports
• Running jobs continue with new mode
• No data is lost
• Can switch anytime

Best Practices

Next Steps