Cron Jobs

Tools

• cron-job.org: External service to schedule jobs by calling your API endpoints.

Setup & Run Cron Jobs

1. Set CRON_SECRET
   • Add an environment variable to secure your cron endpoints:
     .env

     CRON_SECRET="your-secret-key"
     

   • Use any strong key you like or generate one with a password generator.
2. Add a Cron Job
   • Create a file in /server/jobs/, e.g., sendReminderEmails.ts:
     server/jobs/sendReminderEmails.ts

     export async function sendReminderEmails() {
       console.log('[CRON] Running job...');
       // Add your logic (DB updates, notifications, etc.)
     }
     

   • Register it in server/jobs/list.ts:
     server/jobs/list.ts

     import { sendReminderEmails } from './sendReminderEmails';
     
     const JOBS: any = { sendReminderEmails };
     
     export function getJobModules(name: string) {
       return JOBS[name] ?? null;
     }
     

3. Schedule the Job
   • Trigger your job via the API endpoint:

     https://your-site.com/api/cron/sendReminderEmails
     

   • Create a cron-job.org task:
     • URL: same as above
     • Execution schedule: e.g., 0 8 * * * (runs daily at 8 AM)
     • HTTP Header:

       X-Cron-Secret: your-secret-key
       

4. Verify
   • Check server logs for [CRON] messages.
   • Or test endpoint directly with curl:

     curl -H "X-Cron-Secret: your-secret-key" https://your-site.com/api/cron/sendReminderEmails
     

Why Use cron-job.org?

• No need to install node-cron or run background workers.
• Works with serverless platforms like Vercel, Netlify, or Cloudflare.
• Secure with your custom X-Cron-Secret.
• Easy to schedule and manage without touching your app’s main code.

Example: Adding a New Job

• Just create a new file in /server/jobs/, register it in list.ts, and schedule it on cron-job.org like above.
• You can add unlimited jobs following the same pattern.