To automate tasks, WHMCS requires the regular and frequent invocation of a file via cron.
A warning will be displayed in the Cron Status modal of the Automation Status page if WHMCS detects that the cron.php file has not run within the past 2 hours.
To resolve this, you must ensure that the cron job on your server is scheduled to run the cron.php file at least once per hour. The recommended frequency is every 5 minutes.
Time Zone Mismatch
You may see errors if your server's time zone does not match the time zone in WHMCS. On shared hosting servers, UTC is often set within the PHP configuration, which is separate from the PHP configuration you use on the command line. To resolve these errors, you must ensure that WHMCS's PHP configuration and the server's use the same time zone.
To check the server's PHP's time zone, run php -ini | grep "date.timezone". Then, compare this against the time zone in Utilities > System > PHP Info.
If these time zones differ, work with your hosting provider or system administrator to update these values.
How to Correctly Schedule the Cron Job
These steps demonstrate how to correctly schedule a cron job using the cPanel. If you use another server type, review our Cron Documentation for guidance.
1. Log in to the cPanel account that hosts your WHMCS installation
2. Click on Cron Jobs.
3. Edit the cron job command which references the cron.php file:
4. In the -- Common Settings -- dropdown menu, select the Every 5 Minutes option:
5. Finally, click Edit Line
The cron job is now scheduled to invoke the cron.php file at the recommended frequency for WHMCS to perform optimally.
This warning will be resolved within the next 10 minutes when the cron.php script is invoked with the new frequency.
Some hosting providers may limit the frequency of cron jobs, preventing them running as frequently as 5 minutes. In this case, select the highest frequency available. At-least once per hour is the minimum recommendation.
