This guide offers detailed examples of commands for setting up and managing Cron Jobs. For further insights and explanations on Cron Jobs, explore our series of articles dedicated to Cron Job configurations and best practices by clicking Related Articles.
Important: The lines below are examples of command lines. Bold sections must be changed.
Depending on the home directory your account resides on you may need to adjust /home/ to /home#/. To view the home directory for your account, simply view the stats column on the main cPanel page of your account and look for the home directory.
Cron Jobs with PHP and other File Type
Please note: The minimum PHP version on our Shared hosting servers is currently at 8.1. Keep an eye out for communications on when your account will be updated and what changes, if any, you will need to make. For more information on updating content for PHP compatibility, read our guide on What to do if your Site Does not Work with Newer Versions of PHP.
PHP
Command to run a PHP5 cron job:
php /home/username/public_html/cron.phpOptional flags are sometimes required for a PHP cron job:
php -q /home/username/public_html/cron.phpCommand to use a specific php.ini file:
php -c /home/username/public_html/php.ini /home/username/public_html/myscript.phpCommand to GET a remote file:
/usr/bin/GET http://www.example.com/file.phpPerl
Command to run a CGI cron job:
perl /home/username/public_html/cgi-bin/file.plSSH
Command to run a shell script cron job:
/bin/sh /home/username/public_html/file.shMySQL
It is good practice to not type your password out in the following commands but to use the -p flag alone and have the system prompt you for the password. This is why your password stays secure and is never on the server as plain text.
Command to import a database:
mysql -u mysql_user -ppassword database_name < backup.sqlCommand to export a database:
mysqldump -u mysql_user -ppassword database_name > backup.sql
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