WebCron Endpoint

Some hosting environments don't provide cron access. WebCron lets you trigger the scheduler via an HTTP request instead.

Enabling WebCron #

Set cron_enabled in config/app.php or user/config/app.php:

return [
    'cron_enabled' => true,
];

The Endpoint #

Once enabled, the scheduler runs when you hit:

GET /system/cron

The endpoint returns a simple JSON response:

{"status": "ok", "tasks_run": 2}

Triggering from External Services #

Use an uptime monitoring service or external cron service to hit the endpoint every minute:

• UptimeRobot - Set up a monitor with 1-minute checks
• cron-job.org - Free external cron service
• Pingdom - Use as a scheduled job
• Your own server - Cron on a different machine

Example curl command:

curl -s https://yoursite.com/system/cron

Security Considerations #

The WebCron endpoint can be abused if left unprotected. Anyone who discovers the URL can trigger your scheduled tasks repeatedly.

IP Allowlisting #

Restrict access to known IPs in your web server config:

Nginx:

location = /system/cron {
    allow 123.45.67.89;    # Your cron service IP
    allow 10.0.0.0/8;      # Internal network
    deny all;
    try_files $uri /index.php$is_args$args;
}

Apache (.htaccess):

<Location /system/cron>
    Require ip 123.45.67.89
    Require ip 10.0.0.0/8
</Location>

Secret Token #

Add a secret parameter and validate it in middleware:

// In config
'cron_secret' => env('CRON_SECRET', 'your-secret-token'),

// Call with token
curl https://yoursite.com/system/cron?token=your-secret-token

Rate Limiting #

Apply the throttle middleware to prevent abuse:

$router->get('/system/cron', [CronController::class, 'run'])
    ->middleware('throttle:1,1');  // 1 request per minute

When to Use WebCron #

Use WebCron when:

• Shared hosting without cron access
• Serverless environments
• Quick testing during development

Prefer system cron when:

• You have server access
• Tasks are time-sensitive
• High reliability is needed

System cron is more reliable-it runs regardless of HTTP traffic or server load. WebCron depends on external services and your web server being responsive.

Alternatives #

If your host supports scheduled tasks but not traditional cron:

• Laravel Forge - Has a scheduler UI
• Heroku - Use Heroku Scheduler add-on
• Platform.sh - Built-in cron support

These run php velvet schedule:run directly, which is preferable to WebCron.