Cron jobs are scripts or commands that are set to run automatically at specific times. You can use cron jobs to take care of server maintenance such as deleting temporary files once a week. Cron jobs aren't limited to server maintenance - they can be used to automate any command or script.
Note: Intervals shorter than 15 minutes can cause high server load. We ask that you do not schedule cron jobs to run more often than 15 minutes.
Elements of a Cron Job
Cron jobs are composed of three major elements: scripts, commands, and actions.
- The script is the executed action.
- The command executes the script according to the interval, or schedule.
- The action is the result of the script that is executed.
