# How to set up a cron job in cPanel

> Schedule commands and scripts to run automatically with a cron job in cPanel.

Source: https://www.kualo.com/knowledgebase/cpanel-php/how-to-setup-a-cron-job-in-cpanel
Updated: 2026-06-11

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A **cron job** runs a command or script automatically on a schedule - for example every hour, every night, or once a week. They are handy for tasks like clearing temporary files, sending scheduled emails, or running a script your application needs.

:::warning
Cron jobs run shell commands, so they are aimed at users who are comfortable with the command line. If you are setting one up for a specific application (such as WordPress or a script you have installed), use the exact command its documentation gives you.
:::

## Add a cron job

1. Log in to cPanel.
2. In the **Advanced** section, click **Cron Jobs**.
3. Under **Add New Cron Job**, set when the job should run, then enter the command.

   ![The Add New Cron Job form in cPanel](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/3c/04/3c04bc27249eb5c57a6cf1d09fb8b8adb7168917.png)

### Set the schedule

You can set the schedule in two ways:

- **The easy way:** open the **Common Settings** drop-down and pick a ready-made schedule, such as *Once Per Hour* or *Once Per Day*. cPanel fills in the timing fields for you.
- **Manually:** fill in the **Minute**, **Hour**, **Day**, **Month** and **Weekday** fields yourself. An asterisk (`*`) means "every". For example, `0 2 * * *` runs the job at 2:00 AM every day.

### Enter the command

In the **Command** field, type the command to run. For a PHP script the format is:

```
/usr/local/bin/php /home/youruser/public_html/path/to/script.php
```

Replace the path with the location of your own script.

4. Click **Add New Cron Job**. The job then appears in the **Current Cron Jobs** list below, where you can **Edit** or **Delete** it later.

## Get the output by email

By default, cron emails the output of each run to your account. To change where these go, or to stop them, set or clear the address in the **Cron Email** box near the top of the page. To stop emails for a single job, add `>/dev/null 2>&1` to the end of its command.

:::tip
Avoid scheduling jobs to run more often than they need to - running a heavy script every minute can use up your account's resources. Once per hour is plenty for most tasks.
:::

If you need a hand, our support team is available 24/7 - just [open a support ticket](/knowledgebase/getting-started/how-to-create-a-support-ticket-in-mykualo).


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_Source: Kualo Knowledgebase — https://www.kualo.com/knowledgebase/cpanel-php/how-to-setup-a-cron-job-in-cpanel · © Kualo Ltd._