webheadcoder

<p><strong>What happens if WP-Cron stops working?</strong></p>
<p>WordPress, Themes, and Plugins would never know if a new version is out.  You could login to your website everyday for months, and never see any notices about updates. If you’re not careful you’ll soon have an out of date WordPress installation susceptible to hackers.  Scheduled posts would never get published, auto drafts never deleted… you get the picture.  Your website would crumble up and die.</p>
<p>Use Woocommerce?  Subscriptions?  Customers would never get billed again!  Sessions would never be deleted.  Scheduled sales would never appear.  Your website would become bloated while giving away subscriptions for one time payments.</p>
<p><strong>WP-Cron is important.  So make sure it keeps working.</strong></p>
<p>Think of this plugin as insurance, but free.  WordPress, plugins, themes, and servers are all moving parts that can be updated at anytime.  You can’t guarantee any of these changes won’t break your website in some way.  While it’s not likely WP-Cron will stop working, if it does, you better know about it.</p>
<p>Every 24 hours this plugin automatically checks to see if WP-Cron is still able to run.  Obviously, it does not depend on WP-Cron.  Instead it sets its own transients that expire over 24 hours.  Whenever the transient expires it checks to make sure WordPress can run WP-Cron.  If an unexpected error occurs the you’ll get an email.</p>
<p>In addition to checking if WP-Cron CAN run, this plugin now logs all hooks running with WP-Cron and if they fail or complete.  You’ll be able to see what ran, when it ran, how long it took, and if it completed.</p>
<p>For your convenience The WP-Cron Status Checker is displayed on your WordPress admin dashboard.  The status page is accessible through the Tools -> WP Cron Status side menu.</p>
<p><strong>Know when WP-Cron doesn’t complete</strong></p>
<p>When a WP-Cron hook fails you’ll get notified soon after.  A hook “fails” when it takes longer than 5 minutes to complete.  You’ll get an email within 24 hours (or based on the plugin’s settings) to notify you of any failures.</p>
<p>Sometimes a plugin runs some code that abruptly exits the process and there is no way of knowing when it stopped.  WP-Cron Status Checker does it’s best to detect this type of code.  If it’s caught, the elapsed time is not recorded and you’ll see “N/A” with an “Incomplete” status.  Other times when it’s caught you’ll see an “Exit” status which is considered complete.  <a href="https://webheadcoder.com/wp-cron-status-checker/" rel="nofollow ugc">Please see the plugin page for more on completion statuses.</a></p>
<p><strong>PRO Version</strong><br />
The PRO version removes the 3 log limit and lets you choose to keep logs longer and email more frequently.  Please see more on the plugin page:  <a href="https://webheadcoder.com/wp-cron-status-checker/" rel="nofollow ugc">https://webheadcoder.com/wp-cron-status-checker/</a></p>


WP-Cron Status Checker

I know I created this plugin, but I am also using it and it has warned me WP Cron stopped working.  I'm not sure what the error was.  WP Cron just stopped working for a short while and then started working the next day right before I contacted the web host.

Caught an error

I debug WordPress websites for a living and a stopped, paused or failed cron is often a problem. I use this plugin to help in the process. Thanks to the dev!

One request. At first, it was very hard to find where to find the status (it's a widget on the dashboard btw). It would be helpful if this was mentioned somewhere in the description of the plugin (unless its there already and I missed it). 

Cheers!

Very handy tool in my debug tool kit

This is an easy way to check if WP-cron is enabled and jobs are actually running. Don't let the relatively low number of active installations mislead you, I suspect many people may use this plugin just like I did - install it just to check WP-cron is doing ok, then remove the plugin again.

My only criticism is that I had expected to be able to view the WP-cron status on this plugin's settings page, instead I had to look for it in the Dashboard.

Good tool to check WP-cron


I installed by mistake, intending to use a simple tool to monitor and log WP-Cron activity. It appears, this is now another freemius plugin which seems to me to be a bait, because description and screenshots are not accurate and up to date.



To use this plugin is now required to give all your personnal data or to register/subscribe. This shouldn't be required for such limited functionality plugin. An unnecessary and intrusive step for something as simple as viewing cron logs



Thankfully, better alternatives exist. Installed by mistake, uninstalling by will.


Almost a bait because it requires personnal data

If WP-Cron runs important things for you, you better make sure WP-Cron always runs!

Zumbo

<p><strong>Your Scheduled Posts, Published On Time – Guaranteed!</strong></p>
<p>Have you ever scheduled a post in WordPress, only to find it still sitting in “Missed Schedule” status hours or days later? You’re not alone! This frustrating issue affects thousands of WordPress sites, especially those with low traffic.</p>
<p>Missed Schedule Post Publisher is the ultimate solution to WordPress’s unreliable scheduling system. Install it once, configure your preferred check interval, and never worry about missed posts again!</p>
<h3>🔴 The Problem: WordPress’s Scheduling Flaw</h3>
<p>WordPress doesn’t use a true cron system to publish scheduled posts. Instead, it relies on <strong>visitor activity</strong> to trigger scheduled tasks. This means:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Low-traffic sites</strong> can miss scheduled posts for hours or even days</li>
<li><strong>Nighttime posts</strong> may not publish until someone visits your site</li>
<li><strong>Time-sensitive content</strong> might go live too late to be effective</li>
<li><strong>Editorial calendars</strong> become unreliable and unpredictable</li>
</ul>
<p>If your site doesn’t get constant traffic, you’re at risk of the dreaded “Missed Schedule” error.</p>
<h3>✅ The Solution: Reliable, Automatic Publishing</h3>
<p>Missed Schedule Post Publisher runs automatically at your chosen interval, checking for any posts that should have been published but weren’t. When it finds them, it publishes them immediately—no manual intervention required!</p>
<h3>🌟 Key Features</h3>
<h3>⏰ Automatic Missed Post Detection</h3>
<p>Continuously monitors your scheduled posts and instantly detects any that have missed their publication time. No more manually checking your posts list!</p>
<h3>🎛️ Customizable Check Intervals</h3>
<p>Choose how frequently the plugin checks for missed posts: <strong>5, 10, 15, 20, 30, or 60 minutes</strong>. Match the interval to your site’s needs and traffic patterns.</p>
<h3>🚀 Set It and Forget It</h3>
<p>Once configured, the plugin works silently in the background. Your posts will be published on time, every time, without you having to think about it.</p>
<h3>📊 Perfect for Low-Traffic Sites</h3>
<p>Specifically designed for blogs, personal websites, and business sites that don’t receive constant visitor traffic. Ensures your content strategy stays on track.</p>
<h3>⚡ Lightweight & Efficient</h3>
<p>Uses minimal server resources with optimized database queries. Won’t impact your site’s performance, speed, or analytics data.</p>
<h3>🔒 Enterprise-Grade Security</h3>
<p>Built with WordPress best practices, including proper sanitization, nonce verification, and capability checks. Your site stays secure.</p>
<h3>🌍 Translation Ready</h3>
<p>Fully internationalized with i18n support. Ready to work in any language with proper translations.</p>
<h3>🔧 WordPress Cron Integration</h3>
<p>Leverages WordPress’s cron system for reliable scheduling, ensuring checks happen consistently even during low-traffic periods.</p>
<h3>📱 Works Everywhere</h3>
<p>Compatible with all modern WordPress themes, caching plugins, and hosting environments. No conflicts, just results.</p>
<h3>💡 Why You Need This Plugin</h3>
<h3>For Bloggers & Content Creators</h3>
<p>Maintain a consistent publishing schedule even if you’re not online 24/7. Your audience expects fresh content at specific times—deliver it reliably.</p>
<h3>For Business Websites</h3>
<p>Time-sensitive announcements, product launches, and promotional content must go live on schedule. Don’t risk delays that could cost you customers.</p>
<h3>For Marketing Teams</h3>
<p>Coordinate content releases across multiple channels without worrying about WordPress letting you down. Your editorial calendar becomes trustworthy again.</p>
<h3>For Low-Traffic Sites</h3>
<p>If you’re building a new site or running a niche blog, you can’t rely on visitor traffic to trigger your posts. This plugin ensures every post goes live on time.</p>
<h3>For Peace of Mind</h3>
<p>Stop manually checking if your scheduled posts went live. Stop worrying about the “Missed Schedule” error. Just focus on creating great content.</p>
<h3>💝 Support This Plugin</h3>
<p>If Missed Schedule Post Publisher has saved you time and frustration, please consider:</p>
<ul>
<li>⭐ <strong><a href="https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/missed-schedule-post-publisher/reviews/" rel="ugc">Leave a 5-star review</a></strong> – Help others discover this solution</li>
<li>🐛 <strong><a href="https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/missed-schedule-post-publisher/" rel="ugc">Report bugs or request features</a></strong> – We value your feedback</li>
<li>☕ <strong><a href="https://www.paypal.com/donate/?business=53EHQKQ3T87J8&no_recurring=0&currency_code=USD" rel="nofollow ugc">Buy me a coffee</a></strong> – Support continued development</li>
<li>📢 <strong>Share with others</strong> – Help fellow WordPress users avoid the “Missed Schedule” nightmare</li>
</ul>
<h3>🤝 About the Developer</h3>
<p>Created by <strong>UfukArt</strong> – Passionate about solving real WordPress problems with elegant, reliable solutions.</p>
<p><strong>Other WordPress Plugins:</strong><br />
* OptimWP – WordPress Optimization Toolkit</p>
<p><strong>Your scheduled posts deserve better than WordPress’s default system. Install Missed Schedule Post Publisher today and publish with confidence! 🚀</strong></p>


Missed Schedule Post Publisher

🎯 Never miss scheduled posts again! Automatically detects and publishes missed scheduled posts on time, every time - perfect for low-traffic websites.

WP-Cron Status Checker vs Missed Schedule Post Publisher