Documentation
JoomBook performs several tasks automatically in the background - appointment reminders, Google Calendar synchronisation and clearing expired waitlist entries. These only run reliably if Joomla is triggered regularly by a Web-Cron.
Which JoomBook Features Require Web-Cron
During installation, JoomBook automatically creates three scheduled tasks in Joomla. You will find them under System → Scheduled Tasks, each with the note "Auto-created by JoomBook installer". You do not need to create any of them yourself:
| Task | Function |
|---|---|
| JoomBook: Send Appointment Reminders | Sends the appointment reminder emails to the customer ahead of the appointment. |
| JoomBook: Sync Google Calendars | Pulls changes from the staff members' Google calendars back into JoomBook (e.g. externally added events as blocked times). Runs every minute so that bookings are reflected quickly. |
| JoomBook: Expire Waitlist Notifications | Automatically removes expired waitlist entries so your waitlist stays clean. |
Why Does This Need to Be Set Up Separately?
Without a Web-Cron, Joomla runs scheduled tasks unreliably at best - only on random page visits, and with few visitors (at night, for example) often not at all. This can mean a reminder is sent hours late or not at all. A real Web-Cron triggers Joomla reliably, independently of visitors.
Step 1 - Enable Web-Cron in Joomla
- Open System → Scheduled Tasks.
- Click Options at the top right.
- Switch to the Web Cron tab and set Web Cron to Enabled.
- Now click Save at the top left. Right after enabling, no key is shown yet - only a note that the Web-Cron needs a protection key. Joomla only generates this key when you save.
- Open the Web Cron tab again after saving - the full Web-Cron URL including the key is now displayed. Copy this URL.
Step 2 - Set Up the Cron Job at Your Host
Add the copied URL as a cron job in your hosting provider's panel and have it called every minute (with most hosts this corresponds to the schedule * * * * *). You will usually find the relevant area in the hosting panel under "Cron Jobs". If in doubt, your host's support can help.
If your host does not offer its own cron jobs, the Web-Cron URL can alternatively be called every minute via an external cron service.
Step 3 - Check That It Works
- Wait a few minutes and open System → Scheduled Tasks again.
- Via Execution History (at the top) you can see whether the tasks have run successfully.
- The warning in the JoomBook dashboard disappears automatically once the Web-Cron is set up correctly.
