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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

Image

From there, you can define your preferred execution interval based on your site’s needs.

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.