Cron Task Setup

This article provides a step-by-step tutorial on how you can setup your cron task.

What is a cron task?
A cron task is a system that will automatically trigger jNews without any human intervention.
On all our commercial versions you can execute automatic sending processes to send your messages by batch of e-mails through Scheduled Newsletter, Auto-responder and Smart-Newsletter.

Cron task is very useful and recommended if you have 3000 and higher subscribers and you have a tight limitation from your hosting provider.

Before setting up your cron task, you need to know from your hosting provider your send email limitation to avoid exceeding your limits and possibly crashed your site.


Please click here to see the List of popular hosting companies with server limitation information.

There are 3 ways to setup cron task in jNews.

1. jNews Cron System Plugin
2. Cron task on our own server (Always Free)
3. Cron task on your own server

1. Setup Cron using Plugin

The latest versions of jNews (2011 version) has a cron plugin installed by default to have more efficient sending on your Scheduled mailings.

To enable your cron plugin, you don't need to go to Joomla plugin manager. Just enable the option in the configuration and the pugin automatically turns on.

Step—1 In the admin panel, go to jNews Configuration >> Scheduler Tab >> Automatic schedule function setting
Step—2 Select "Yes" for "jNews Cron System Plugin".
Step—3 Setup Sending Frequency

Before setting your sending frequency, make sure to verify with your hosting provider your limitation on sending email per task.

Click here to see popular hosting limitations.

1. In the admin panel, go to jNews Configuration >> Scheduler Tab >> Scheduler Frequency
2. Set "Scheduler max frequency" and "Maximum emails per task" according to your hosting limitation.
3. And then Save.

Let's take an example to better understand the idea.

xxy.com has 500 email limitation an hour.

xxy.com then setup the following frequency to avoid over sending.

Scheduler max frequency = 900 seconds
Maximum emails per task = 120 emails


2. Free Cron task using Joobi server

If you don't have access to a cron task on your control panel you can register for a free cron task at joobi.org website.

Our own server will launch your jNews component every 15 minutes so you don't need to configure anything on your CPanel, JoobiSoft will do the job!

Step—1 Register and validate your account at https://joobi.org
Step—2 Login using your newly created account or existing account
Step—3 In the Member's Area, click My Cron
Step—4 Click New to create new cron task
Fill in the correct setup and your website information.

Type: jNews
URL: This is your website URL not jNews Cron URL. Please provide the correct website URL where you installed jNews. For instance in our website we use https://joobi.org

Frequency: The number of minutes our server will trigger your URL.

Step—5 Click Done to save the changes.
Our system will automatically complete your url to trigger jNews.

cron-task-joobi

3. Cron task on your own server

Click here to see the list of server setup samples.

  • Wednesday, 03 April 2013