Help Centre › Plesk Panel › Setting Up Cron Jobs in Plesk
This backups & maintenance guide walks UK Plesk users through Setting Up Cron Jobs on Plesk Obsidian. Steps apply to any managed Plesk hosting plan — including smartxhosting.uk/web-apps where Plesk is bundled with EU data-centre hosting, free SSL, daily backups, WP Toolkit and UK business-hours support.
What Are Cron Jobs? · Common Use Cases for Scheduled Tasks · Creating a Scheduled Task in Plesk · Understanding Cron Syntax · Replacing WordPress wp-cron · Configuring Notifications · Suppressing Output with /dev/null · Troubleshooting Cron Jobs · FAQ
Plesk cron jobs for scheduled tasks:
- Plesk → Websites & Domains → pick domain → Scheduled Tasks.
- Click Add Task.
- Specify the command or URL to run (shell command, PHP script, wget / curl against a URL).
- Set the schedule (every 5 minutes, hourly, daily at specific time, custom cron expression).
- Configure notification on error or output capture.
- Save. Task runs on schedule; Plesk logs execution.
Plesk cron jobs for scheduled tasks:
- Plesk → Websites & Domains → pick domain → Scheduled Tasks.
- Click Add Task.
- Specify the command or URL to run (shell command, PHP script, wget / curl against a URL).
- Set the schedule (every 5 minutes, hourly, daily at specific time, custom cron expression).
- Configure notification on error or output capture.
- Save. Task runs on schedule; Plesk logs execution.
- Log in to Plesk and open the relevant section for this task.
- Select the target domain or subscription if multiple exist.
- Click the add / create / configure button as appropriate.
- Fill in the required fields. Plesk validates input and flags errors before submission.
- Save the change. Most configuration changes apply immediately; some (e.g. PHP version) take a minute to propagate.
- Verify the result — on smartxhosting.uk, confirmation e-mails are sent automatically for significant changes.
¶ Understanding Cron Syntax
Plesk exposes the setting up cron jobs data in a structured, UK-SME-friendly format. Key metrics:
- Absolute values (GB used, MB transferred, number of databases).
- Trend vs plan limits (colour-coded: green < 70%, amber 70–90%, red > 90%).
- Historical chart for the last 30 days.
- Breakdown per domain or mailbox.
On managed smartxhosting.uk plans, the same data is visible in the client area dashboard alongside billing metrics.
Plesk WP Toolkit manages WordPress at scale:
- One-click WordPress install with hardened defaults.
- Clone between staging and production.
- Bulk plugin / theme / core updates with automatic before-and-after screenshots.
- Security scanner (checks file permissions, wp-config.php, SQL injection hardening).
- Automatic SSL and HTTPS redirects.
- Smart Updates — test updates on a staging clone before applying to production.
Included on smartxhosting.uk managed Plesk at no extra cost.
- Log in to Plesk and open the relevant section for this task.
- Select the target domain or subscription if multiple exist.
- Click the add / create / configure button as appropriate.
- Fill in the required fields. Plesk validates input and flags errors before submission.
- Save the change. Most configuration changes apply immediately; some (e.g. PHP version) take a minute to propagate.
- Verify the result — on smartxhosting.uk, confirmation e-mails are sent automatically for significant changes.
This section covers the practical aspects of setting up cron jobs in Plesk Obsidian for UK users.
The feature is accessed from the main Plesk panel — typically via a left-sidebar entry or a per-domain settings tab. Behaviour is consistent across Plesk Linux (smartxhosting.uk default) and Plesk Windows with minor path differences.
For managed Plesk hosting with UK support and VAT invoices, see smartxhosting.uk/web-apps. Under UK GDPR, include any personal data processed through this feature in your data-processing inventory.
Plesk cron jobs for scheduled tasks:
- Plesk → Websites & Domains → pick domain → Scheduled Tasks.
- Click Add Task.
- Specify the command or URL to run (shell command, PHP script, wget / curl against a URL).
- Set the schedule (every 5 minutes, hourly, daily at specific time, custom cron expression).
- Configure notification on error or output capture.
- Save. Task runs on schedule; Plesk logs execution.
Plesk hosting for UK businessesGet managed Plesk Obsidian hosting from
smartxhosting.uk/web-apps — EU data centres, UK VAT invoices, UK business-hours support, auto-SSL, daily backups and WP Toolkit included.
Q: Do I need a specific Plesk licence for this feature?
A: Most features described here are included on all managed smartxhosting.uk Plesk hosting plans. Advanced features (WP Toolkit Deluxe, Developer Pack) may require plan upgrade.
Q: Does this work on both Linux and Windows Plesk?
A: Yes — Plesk Obsidian is cross-platform. smartxhosting.uk runs Plesk on Linux; feature parity is close on Windows but file paths and service names differ.
Q: Is this guide for Plesk Obsidian or an older version?
A: Plesk Obsidian (18.x) is assumed throughout. smartxhosting.uk keeps Plesk on the latest stable branch, so UK customers are always on Obsidian.
Q: How does this feature interact with UK GDPR?
A: Any personal data processed via this feature falls under UK GDPR. Ensure your privacy notice reflects the processing, apply encryption where applicable, and document the processing in your data-processing inventory.
Q: Can I automate this via the Plesk API?
A: Yes — Plesk exposes a CLI and XML/REST APIs for automation. smartxhosting.uk managed hosting allows API access for tasks that do not require root.
Q: How do I access Plesk if I am a smartxhosting.uk customer?
A: Log in to smartxhosting.uk client area → Services → Login to Plesk. SSO takes you straight into the panel.