WHMCS performs a number of tasks once per day, such as processing payments, generating renewal invoices, and dealing with overdue accounts. These tasks are performed at a specific time each day, defined by the Time of Day setting at Setup > Automation Settings.

A warning will be displayed in the Cron Status modal of the Automation Status page if WHMCS detects the cron.php file was not touched during that one hour window.

To resolve this, you must ensure that the cron job on your server is  scheduled to touch the cron.php file at-least once per hour. The  recommended frequency is every 5 minutes.

This guide demonstrates how to correctly schedule a cron job using the cPanel. If you use another server type, review our Cron Documentation for guidance.

1. Log in to the cPanel account that hosts your WHMCS installation

2. Click on Cron Jobs.

3. Edit the cron job command which references the cron.php file:

4. In the -- Common Settings -- dropdown menu, select the Every 5 Minutes option:

5. Finally, click Edit Line

The cron job is now scheduled to invoke the cron.php file at the recommended frequency for WHMCS to perform optimally.

This warning will be resolved within the next 24 hours when the cron.php script is invoked during the Time of Day hour.