Auctions don't end and emails don't go out until the scheduled task runs.
Set it up
Open Settings Security Logs Cron Logs. It shows the exact command and URL for your site, with your real path and key. Use whichever your host offers, set to every minute.
A command
In cPanel: Cron Jobs, choose "Once Per Minute", and paste the command with your site's folder:
* * * * * php /path/to/your/site/cron/dispatch.php >/dev/null 2>&1A URL
If your host can only call a web address, or you use an outside cron service, call this every minute:
https://your-domain/cron/dispatch.php?key=YOUR_CRON_KEYThe setup wizard creates a random key for your store. Keep the URL private. Only the main Administrator can see or change the key.
Check it's running
- Cron Logs shows "Cron last ran" and every run, with failures first.
- The dashboard's System health shows whether cron is running.
- The Finish setup checklist ticks its cron step once runs come in.
Manage the jobs
The one line starts a dispatcher, which runs each job on its own schedule. In Cron Logs you can change a job's schedule, switch a job off, or run it now. The list shows only the jobs of the features on your store.
Some of the jobs on a BidKing Plus store and how often they run by default:
| Job | Default |
|---|---|
| Close ended auctions and declare winners | every minute |
| Notify Me emails when an auction starts | every minute |
| Send queued emails | every minute |
| Background jobs | every minute |
| Translate new content | every minute |
| Switch scheduled themes | every minute |
| Publish scheduled blog posts | every minute |
| Email campaigns | every 5 minutes |
| Release unused coupon holds | every 10 minutes |
| Refresh payment exchange rates | every 30 minutes |
| Report seller sales past their hold period, as a reminder to pay them | every hour |
| Close support tickets left waiting | every hour |
| Server check | once a day |
| Delete logs older than the periods you set | once a day |
Older guides had a cron line for each script. Those still work, but the single dispatch.php line replaces all of them.
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