Cron Guard

Cron Guard is a comprehensive monitoring solution for WordPress cron jobs. It helps you detect when cron jobs are failing, identify stalled or missed scheduled tasks, and provides host-specific instructions to fix common issues.

Features

• Health Monitoring – Detect if WP Cron has executed within a configurable time threshold
• Scheduled Events List – View all scheduled cron hooks with last run time, next run time, and interval
• Overdue Detection – Flag overdue or stalled hooks with clear visual indicators
• Rolling Log – Lightweight logging of cron execution events
• Admin Dashboard – Clear, non-technical UI showing overall health status and detailed hook information
• Fix Assistant – Host-specific instructions for setting up real cron jobs
• Admin Bar Indicator – Quick status indicator in the WordPress admin bar

Premium Features

• Email Alerts – Receive notifications when cron is stalled or repeatedly missing schedules
• Webhook Alerts – Send alerts to any webhook endpoint
• Slack Integration – Formatted Slack notifications with action buttons
• Discord Integration – Formatted Discord notifications with embeds
• Verification System – Test and confirm real cron execution
• Advanced Diagnostics – Deep system analysis and troubleshooting

Why You Need This

WordPress relies on WP-Cron for critical tasks like:

• Publishing scheduled posts
• Sending emails
• Running backups
• Processing orders (WooCommerce)
• Updating plugins and themes

When WP-Cron fails silently, these tasks stop working. Cron Guard gives you visibility into your cron health and alerts you before problems become critical.

Supported Hosts

The Fix Assistant provides specific setup instructions for:

• WP Engine
• Kinsta
• SiteGround
• Bluehost
• GoDaddy
• DreamHost
• Cloudways
• Flywheel
• Pantheon
• Pressable
• cPanel hosts
• Plesk hosts
• Generic VPS/Dedicated servers

External Services

This plugin optionally connects to the following third-party services when configured by the user:

Slack API

When Slack alerts are enabled, the plugin sends notification messages to a user-configured Slack Incoming Webhook URL. Data sent includes: site name, site URL, cron health status, and alert details. No personal data is transmitted. Slack is operated by Salesforce, Inc.

• Slack API documentation
• Slack Privacy Policy

Discord API

When Discord alerts are enabled, the plugin sends notification messages to a user-configured Discord Webhook URL. Data sent includes: site name, site URL, cron health status, and alert details. No personal data is transmitted.

• Discord Developer documentation
• Discord Privacy Policy

Generic Webhooks

When webhook alerts are enabled, the plugin sends a JSON POST request to any user-configured URL. Data sent includes: site name, site URL, cron health status, and alert details. The webhook URL is entirely user-controlled.

Freemius SDK

This plugin uses the Freemius SDK for optional usage analytics and future licensing. No data is collected unless the user opts in during activation. Freemius is operated by Freemius, Inc.

• Freemius Privacy Policy
• Freemius Terms of Service

External Cron Services (Referenced Only)

The Fix Assistant page references third-party cron services (EasyCron, cron-job.org, UptimeRobot) as alternatives for setting up server-side cron. The plugin does not connect to or transmit data to these services. Users who choose to use these services do so independently.