FlyWP Cron Management

FlyWP provides a reliable and system-level approach to managing WordPress cron jobs by leveraging container-based scheduling instead of relying on default WordPress traffic-triggered cron execution.

Overview

In a standard WordPress setup, WP-Cron is triggered on page loads, which can lead to inconsistent execution—especially on low-traffic or high-performance cached sites.

FlyWP solves this by using Ofelia, a lightweight job scheduler for Docker environments, to trigger cron events at consistent intervals.

How It Works

FlyWP uses Ofelia to execute WP-CLI commands inside each site container. This ensures that scheduled WordPress tasks run independently of site traffic.

Example Configuration

labels:
  ofelia.enabled: 'true'
  ofelia.job-exec.wpcron-17229.schedule: '@every 10m'
  ofelia.job-exec.wpcron-17229.command: 'wp cron event run --due-now'

Breakdown

• ofelia.enabled
  Enables Ofelia job scheduling for the container.
• schedule
  Defines how often the cron runs.
  Example: @every 10m → runs every 10 minutes.
• command
  Executes the WP-CLI cron command:
  wp cron event run --due-now
  This runs all due scheduled events in WordPress.

Customizing Cron Frequency

You can easily adjust how often cron runs from the FlyWP dashboard:

Path:
Site Dashboard → Settings → Cron Settings

From the Cron Settings page, you can define your preferred execution interval using the Run Every field (specify a number and select the unit: Second, Minute, or Hour; default is 10 minutes). Available for WordPress and Bedrock sites.

Execution Behavior

• Cron jobs are triggered using WP-CLI, not HTTP requests.
• Any scheduled event registered in WordPress will run as long as:
  • It is properly scheduled using WordPress APIs.
  • It is accessible via WP-CLI.

Key Advantages

• Reliable execution (not dependent on traffic)
• Consistent scheduling
• Better performance for cached or low-traffic sites
• Full compatibility with WordPress cron system

Notes

• FlyWP does not replace WordPress cron—it ensures it runs reliably.
• Developers can continue using standard WordPress scheduling functions like wp_schedule_event.
• If a cron event is available via WP-CLI, FlyWP will execute it.