Run External Crons
This plugin enables using WordPress as a cron system that would hit external URLs (ie. any URL) on a scheduled basis. User can submit URL and interval in which that URL should be opened by WordPress.
Consider an alternative
Run External Crons shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 50+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 14 years ago, and scores 32/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (50+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 14 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 3.4 (latest is 7.1)
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Run External Crons stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| cron | >100 |
| cron job | >100 |
| cronjob | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews
About Run External Crons
From the official readme · v1.0Description
Plugin homepage | Plugin author | Donate
This plugin enables using WordPress as a cron system that would hit external URLs (ie. any URL) on a scheduled basis. User can submit URL and interval in which that URL should be opened by WordPress.
This can be used, for example, for other WordPress sites that are on hosts that don’t have native cron system or where it’s complicated to set it up. For that cases, URL should be in format http://example.com/wp-cron.php and there should be constant DISABLE_WP_CRON in wp-config.php file to avoid running WordPress own pseudo cron:
define(‘DISABLE_WP_CRON’, true);
It’s recommended to setup a real cron for the site where this plugin is installed, with interval that is the lowest one from settings. Follow WordPress specific advises from above, and check links from plugin’s page on how to set up this.
If you are translator, you can translate this plugin to your language and send translations to plugin’s author.
Installation
- Upload
run-external-cronsfolder to the/wp-content/plugins/directory - Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress
- You can change default options on ‘Settings > Run External Crons’ page
Screenshots
For developers
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Best Run External Crons alternatives
All cron plugins →
FAQ
Run External Crons: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 21, 2026
Is Run External Crons free?
Yes. Run External Crons is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Run External Crons safe to use in 2026?
Run External Crons shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 50+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 14 years ago, and scores 32/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Run External Crons?
Run External Crons is active on 50+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 6,675 times since it launched in August 2012. It was downloaded 67 times in the last 30 days.
Does Run External Crons work with WordPress 7.1?
Run External Crons is officially tested up to WordPress 3.4.2, while the latest release is 7.1.3. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was Run External Crons last updated?
The latest version, 1.0, was released on August 14, 2012 (14 years ago).
Who makes Run External Crons?
Run External Crons is developed and maintained by Milan Dinić.
What are the best alternatives to Run External Crons?
The most popular alternatives to Run External Crons are WP Crontrol (300K+ installs), Advanced Cron Manager (30K+ installs) and Missed Scheduled Posts Publ… (30K+ installs).
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