The Cron Job Management section in Cloudways Velocity allows you to schedule commands or application tasks to run automatically at defined times or intervals.
A cron job can be used to automate recurring tasks, such as:
Processing queued work.
Running maintenance scripts.
Generating reports.
Synchronizing application data.
Clearing temporary data.
Calling a scheduled Node.js script.
Velocity provides two ways to manage cron jobs:
Basic: Create individual cron jobs through a guided form.
Advanced: Enter and manage cron entries directly through an advanced editor.
Important: An incorrect cron schedule or command may run too frequently, fail repeatedly, or affect application performance. Review each value carefully before saving it.
Before You Begin
Make sure that:
You have an active Cloudways Velocity application.
The command or script you want to schedule already exists.
The command can run successfully in your application environment.
You understand how often the task should run.
The scheduled task does not overlap with another execution of the same task.
Test the command manually before adding it as a cron job where possible.
Manage Cron Jobs in Cloudways Velocity
The Cron Job Management section allows you to automate recurring tasks for your Cloudways Velocity application.
Use the Basic tab to create standard cron jobs through a guided form. Use the Advanced tab when you need direct control over the full cron configuration.
Review schedules and commands carefully, and monitor running cron tasks to ensure they do not affect application performance.
Access Cron Job Management
Log in to the Cloudways Platform.
From the left navigation menu, select Velocity.
Select My Applications.
Choose the required application.
From the application management menu, select Cron Job Management.
The section contains two tabs:
Basic
Advanced
Create a Cron Job Using the Basic Tab
Navigate to: Velocity → My Applications → Select Application → Cron Job Management → Basic
The Basic tab provides a form for creating a scheduled task without manually writing the complete cron entry.
Add a New Cron Job
Open the Basic tab.
Select Add New Cron Job.
Complete the cron schedule and command fields.
Select Submit.
The cron job appears in the Basic tab after it is successfully added.
Understand the Basic Cron Fields
Common Settings
Use Common Settings to select a predefined schedule.
Depending on the available options, predefined schedules may include examples such as:
Every minute.
Every hour.
Once a day.
Once a week.
Once a month.
Selecting a common setting automatically fills the related schedule fields.
Use this option when one of the predefined schedules matches your requirement.
Minutes
Defines the minute or minutes when the task should run.
Examples:
0— Run at the start of the hour.30— Run at 30 minutes past the hour.*— Run every minute.*/15— Run every 15 minutes.
Hours
Defines the hour or hours when the task should run.
Examples:
0— Run at midnight.6— Run at 6:00.*— Run every hour.*/4— Run every four hours.
Days
Defines the day of the month when the task should run.
Examples:
1— Run on the first day of the month.15— Run on the fifteenth day.*— Run every day.
Months
Defines the month or months when the task should run.
Examples:
1— January.12— December.*— Every month.
Weeks
Defines the day of the week when the task should run.
Depending on the supported format, days are commonly represented numerically.
Examples may include:
0or7— Sunday.1— Monday.5— Friday.*— Every day of the week.
Note:
Use either the day-of-month field or the day-of-week field carefully. Combining both may produce a schedule different from what you expect.
Type
Select the command type that the cron job should run.
The current Velocity interface shows Node as an available type.
Choose Node when the scheduled task should run a Node.js command or script.
Command
Enter the command that Cloudways should execute.
For example, the command may run:
A Node.js script.
A package script.
A framework command.
An application maintenance task.
Example:
node scripts/cleanup.js
Another example:
npm run scheduled-task
Use the command that matches your application configuration.
Important:
Use the correct application path or command format required by your Velocity environment. An invalid path, missing script, or incorrect command will cause the cron job to fail.
Cron Schedule Examples
The following examples show common cron schedules.
Run Every Five Minutes
*/5 * * * *
Run Every Hour
0 * * * *
Run Every Day at 02:00
0 2 * * *
Run Every Monday at 09:00
0 9 * * 1
Run on the First Day of Every Month
0 0 1 * *
A cron schedule follows this order:
Minute Hour Day-of-Month Month Day-of-Week
Manage Cron Jobs from the Basic Tab
After cron jobs are added, they are listed under the Basic tab.
Depending on the available controls, you can review and manage individual cron jobs from this list.
When editing a cron job:
Confirm the schedule.
Confirm the command.
Avoid creating duplicate tasks.
Save the updated configuration.
Monitor the application after the next scheduled run.
Remove cron jobs that are no longer required to prevent unnecessary background activity.
Use the Advanced Cron Editor
Navigate to: Velocity → My Applications → Select Application → Cron Job Management → Advanced
The Advanced Cron editor allows you to manage cron entries directly.
Use this editor when:
You are familiar with cron syntax.
You need to review several cron jobs together.
Your schedule cannot be created easily through the Basic form.
You need to edit the complete cron configuration manually.
Add or Update Advanced Cron Entries
Open the Advanced tab.
Enter or update the cron entries in the editor.
Review the full configuration carefully.
Select Save Changes.
The Save Changes button becomes available after the editor content is modified.
Warning:
Use the Advanced editor carefully. Removing, changing, or incorrectly formatting an entry can stop existing cron jobs or cause them to run incorrectly.
Advanced Cron Entry Format
A standard cron entry contains a schedule followed by the command.
Example:
0 2 * * * node scripts/cleanup.js
This example runs the specified Node.js script every day at 02:00.
Another example:
*/15 * * * * npm run process-queue
This example runs the package script every 15 minutes.
Each cron job should normally appear on a separate line.
Basic Versus Advanced Cron Management
Use Basic When
You are creating a simple scheduled task.
You prefer a guided form.
You want to use predefined schedule options.
You are less familiar with cron syntax.
Use Advanced When
You understand cron syntax.
You need full control over the cron entry.
You want to review or edit multiple entries in one place.
The required schedule is not easily available in the Basic form.
Recommendation:
Use the Basic tab for standard tasks. Use the Advanced editor only when the Basic options do not meet your requirement.
Monitor Running Cron Jobs
After creating a cron job, you can review currently running cron processes from:
Monitoring → Analytics → Running Crons
This section may display:
The running cron command.
CPU usage.
Memory usage.
How long the task has been running.
Use this information to identify tasks that are consuming excessive resources or taking longer than expected.
Recommended Practices
Test the command before scheduling it.
Start with a lower frequency unless the task must run often.
Avoid running heavy tasks every minute.
Make sure one execution can finish before the next one begins.
Use clear script and package-command names.
Review running cron processes when application performance changes unexpectedly.
Remove unused or duplicate cron jobs.
Keep a record of each cron job’s purpose, schedule, and owner.
Use the Advanced editor only when you are comfortable with cron syntax.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a cron job?
A cron job is a scheduled command that runs automatically at a defined time or interval.
What is the difference between Basic and Advanced?
Basic provides a guided form for creating individual cron jobs. Advanced allows you to enter and edit complete cron entries directly.
What does an asterisk mean in a cron field?
An asterisk means every available value for that field.
For example:
* * * * *
means the command is scheduled every minute.
What does */10 mean?
It means every ten units for that field. In the Minutes field, */10 means every ten minutes.
Which command type should I select?
Select the type that matches the command being executed. The current interface displays Node for Node.js commands and scripts.
Can I run an npm script through a cron job?
Yes, provided the script exists in your application configuration and the command is valid for the Velocity environment.
Why is the Submit button unavailable?
Complete all required schedule, type, and command fields. The button remains unavailable until the form contains a valid cron configuration.
Why is Save Changes unavailable in the Advanced tab?
The button becomes active only after you change the editor content.
How can I check whether a cron job is running?
Navigate to Monitoring → Analytics → Running Crons to review active cron processes.
Can a cron job affect application performance?
Yes. Frequent, long-running, or resource-heavy tasks may increase CPU and memory usage.
What happens if two executions overlap?
Both executions may run at the same time, which can increase resource usage or cause duplicate processing. Set the schedule so that one execution normally completes before the next begins.
That's it! We hope this article was useful.