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  1. Home
  2. Plugins
  3. Cron
  4. WP-Cron Control
WP-Cron Control icon

WP-Cron Control

This plugin allows you to take control over the execution of cron jobs.

By Automattic·Cron·Free
3.5(10 reviews)
·1.0K+ active installs·Updated 8 years ago
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As of April 2026, WP-Cron Control is a WordPress cron plugin with 1.0K+ active installations and a 3.5/5 rating from 10 reviews. It has been downloaded 87K+ times in total. Requires WordPress 3.4+ and PHP false+. Available on WordPress.org since 2011. Last updated 8 years ago — may have compatibility concerns. Downloads are up 11% this week. Top alternative: WP Crontrol.

3.5/510 reviews
1.0K+active installs
87K+total downloads
15 yearssince 2011

Overview

This plugin allows you to take control over the execution of cron jobs. It’s mainly useful for sites that either don’t get enough comments to ensure a frequent execution of wp-cron or for sites where the execution of cron via regular methods can cause race conditions resulting in multiple execution of wp-cron at the same time. It can also help when you run into posts that missed their schedule.

This plugin implements a secret parameter and ensures that cron jobs are only executed when this parameter is existing.

Limitations

This plugin performs a remove_action( 'sanitize_comment_cookies', 'wp_cron' ); call in order to disable the spawning of new cron processes via the regular WordPress method. If wp_cron is hooked in an other action or called directly this might cause trouble.

…
Read full description on WordPress.org

Screenshots

Ratings & Reviews

3.510 reviews
5 ★
4
4 ★
2
3 ★
1
2 ★
1
1 ★
2

Recent Reviews

You’re on your own
by taropaa·6 years ago

This sometimes works. Unfortunately, if you have any questions about it or issues with it, you won’t hear back from the devs 🙁
In my experience, it does not work in WP multisite 5.2.1 if you are trying to trigger the cron via the PHP command. The wget command seems to work fine, but the best part of this plugin was to allow it to trigger through the PHP server.

  • This topic was modified 6 years, 10 months ago by taropaa.
Very good and needed
by jurasjo·9 years ago

Very good and needed

Doesn’t Work
by pasqualerose·9 years ago

I tried it, doesn’t work. Scheduled post still don’t post.

Awesome Plugin
by networkwebmasters·9 years ago

Awesome Plugin, i am using this plugin on all my sites from 2 years, it works perfectly 🙂

use custom function run in cron job
by kumarajay367·10 years ago·1 reply

Hi,
greate plugin!. but how to call my own custom function in this plugin.

Any help?

Download Trends

Today: 25Yesterday: 23This week: 149Period total: 4K

Compatibility

WordPress3.4+ requiredTested up to 4.8.28
PHPfalse+ required

Version Adoption

v0.7
100.0%

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Frequently Asked Questions

Changelog

Version 0.7.1

  • Security hardening (better escaping, sanitization of saved values)
  • Update plugin to use core’s updated cron hook
View full changelog on WordPress.org

Contributors

Thorsten OttThorsten OttMohammad JangdaMohammad JangdaErick HitterErick HitterAutomatticAutomattic
Plugin Info
Version
0.7.1
Last Updated
Nov 28, 2017
WP Requires
3.4+
Tested Up To
4.8.28
PHP Requires
false+
Active Installs
1.0K+
Downloads
87K+
Added
Aug 1, 2011
Business
Free

Tags

cronwp croncron jobsscheduled postspost missed schedule

Developer

A
Automattic
74 plugins19.0M+ total installs
View all plugins →

Quick Compare

WP-Cron Control vs WP Crontrol→WP-Cron Control vs Missed Scheduled Posts Publisher by…→WP-Cron Control vs Advanced Cron Manager – debug & control→

Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Analysis and metrics by PluginSift.