---
title: Scheduled Tasks
eleventyNavigation:
  key: Scheduled Tasks
  parent: Web Hosting
  order: 6
---

Web apps or services sometimes need to periodically run tasks, commands or call up URLs with no user interaction. To manage them you should create a scheduled task.

Our platform is based on [Debian](https://www.debian.org/) and its [crontab](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cron) but allows them to be directly managed from our [administration interface](https://admin.alwaysdata.com) - menu **Advanced > Scheduled tasks** - making their use easier.

Several kinds of information need to be provided:

- the one or more commands that you wish to run or the URLs you wish to request. Email addresses can also be provided to receive error reports[^1] (separated by a space).

![](images/admin-panel_create-task_type.png)

- the SSH environment

![](images/admin-panel_create-task_environment.png)

- the task frequency: you can specify a fixed time or an interval

![](images/admin-panel_create-task_frequency.png)

- [API reference](https://api.alwaysdata.com/v1/job/doc/)

## Use scheduled tasks

- If the task is scheduled at a certain frequency but the execution of the previous task is not finished, the current one will be ignored,
- Tasks are started during the set minute. In other words a task scheduled to start every day at 6:30 will start between 6:30:00 and 6:30:59.
- A log is created automatically and is available from the `/home/[account]/admin/logs/jobs/` directory. It gives you the start and end of the task.
	- An extract of these logs is presented in the administration’s interface (**Logs** - 📄).
	- email addresses provided to receive error reports do not replace these logs.
- Current processes are accessible via the **Advanced > Processes > Scheduled Tasks** menu.
- For *Command* type tasks, the language versions used by default are those specified in the **Environment** menu of the administration interface. It is possible to choose another version using the *Environment variables*.

> [!NOTE]
> If your script needs to allow some IPs, allow these [IP adresses ranges](/en/docs/technical-specifications/ip-ranges).


[Public Cloud](/en/docs/admin-billing/billing/public-cloud-prices) users:

- The consumption should remain reasonable. If the scheduled task is major processing, then reduce its frequency.

[Private Cloud](/en/docs/admin-billing/billing/private-cloud-prices) users:

- Even if it is not advisable, they have also access to the `crontab -e` command. The two systems are separate.

## Troubleshooting

- `source venv/bin/activate && python` is specific to [Bash](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bash_(Unix_shell)) and can't function. To replace by `venv/bin/python`,
- Shortcuts with an **@** - examples *@hourly* or *@reboot* - are not accepted (non-standard syntax),
- They use the default language versions of the accounts (defined in **Environment**). To use others, specify them in the *Environment variables* field.

## Examples

### WordPress

Every ten minutes, the [WordPress](https://developer.wordpress.org/cli/commands/cron/event/run/) tool starts to run the scheduled tasks:

alwaysdata administration interface:

- *value*: `php /home/[account]/wordpress/htdocs/wp cron event run --due-now`
- *frequency*: second choice - Every 10 minutes

Equivalent crontab syntax:

```
*/10 * * * * php /home/[account]/wordpress/htdocs/wp cron event run --due-now
```

### tt-rss

[Refreshing an RSS backend](https://git.tt-rss.org/fox/tt-rss.wiki.git/tree/UpdatingFeeds.md#n58) with TT-rss, every day at 10:30:

alwaysdata administration interface:

- *value*: `php /home/[account]/tt-rss/update.php --feeds --quiet`
- *frequency*: first choice - Every day at 10:30

Equivalent crontab syntax:

```
30 10 * * * php /home/[account]/tt-rss/update.php --feeds --quiet
```

[^1]: A report is sent when the return code is different from 0. If the task is not executed, no email is sent.