Cron & Heartbeat

Slow the beat down, hand the cron over.

The heartbeat requests in the backend come in every 15 seconds by default. You raise the interval. And on request the kakapo defines DISABLE_WP_CRON, so that scheduled tasks run via a real system cron instead of on every page view.

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Cron & Heartbeat

Raise the Heartbeat interval · the default is 15 seconds

ActiveSettings

What Cron & Heartbeat offer

Raise the Heartbeat interval

The default is 15 seconds

DISABLE_WP_CRON on request

Tasks via system cron

Here's how it works

Choose the interval in seconds

Hand off WP-Cron or keep it

Set up a system Cron at your host

FAQ about Cron & Heartbeat

What is the Heartbeat for?

It keeps the backend talking to the server: autosave, the lock notice while editing, login status. A larger interval means fewer requests, but also a longer wait until the next feedback.

What happens after DISABLE_WP_CRON?

WordPress no longer runs scheduled tasks on the side with every page view. For them to run anyway, your host needs a system cron set up that calls wp-cron.php.

Can I undo this?

Yes, both are toggles. Without them, WordPress works just like before.

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