WordPress Wp-O-Matic not working with godaddy? Here is the solution…
GoDaddy is used by many people to host their websites. Among the many Tool offered with GoDaddy Linux hosting is a Cron Manager. Cron is very simplistically the Linux / Unix equivalent of Windows ‘Scheduled Tasks’. The GoDaddy version simplifies the usual command based Cron interface by providing a GUI where just a few options need to be filled. Because the GoDaddy Cron Manager is not command line based, many people find it difficult to get the Cron Manager to work. Below is a tutorial of how to get Wordpress WP-o-Matic Cron to work with godaddy.com hosting:
Use Cron for WP-o-Matic
WP-o-Matic is a popular WordPress Plugin which creates posts from RSS feeds. The posts may be ‘Fetched’ by WP-o-Matic manually, by accessing a specific URL on your website (URL supplied in the Options tab of WP-o-Matic) or via Cron (Cron command supplied in the Options tab of WP-o-Matic). The Cron method is great for automating WP-o-Matic to fetch and create posts however there is a little trick that seems to have many GoDaddy users unable to automate the WP-o-Matic fetch.
In the first paragraph of this post it is described that the GoDaddy Cron Manager is GUI and not command line based. The Cron string supplied on the Options tab of WP-o-Matic is intended for Cron Command lines. So, to get GoDaddy to tell WP-o-Matic to fetch according to a specified schedule all we need to do is
- Go to WP-o-Matic Options Tab in your Wordpress install.
- Ensure that in ‘Unix cron’ is checked (in WP-o-Matic Options in your Wordpress install).
- In the Cron command highlight all characters EXCULDING those before ‘/usr’ (i.e. in the Cron command field the value will look something like ‘*/20 * * * * /usr/bin/curl http://example.com/wp-content/plugins/WP-o-Matic/cron.php?code=ba360243’ however we only require ‘/usr/bin/curl http://example.com/wp-content/plugins/WP-o-Matic/cron.php?code=ba360243’ to be highlighted).
- Copy why you have highlighted.
- Paste into the ‘command’ field in GoDaddy Cron Manager.
- Fill the other GoDaddy Cron Manager fields with your options and save.
(see the diagram below for an example of setting up a new ‘Cron Job’ to get WordPress WP-o-Matic to fetch posts at 6 P.M. daily.).
You will now receive an email from Cron Manager every time the Cron command is run.
OK – I followed your instructions to the letter and my email confirmation comes back with the following message…
curl: (7) couldn’t connect to host
If I had hair I would pull it out…would you happen to have any suggestions…???
I had an affro before trying to figure out the whole GoDaddy Cron
You don’t have any spaces before or after the text in the ‘cron command’ field? Also the text you do have in the cron command field begins with ‘/usr’?
I set up a few more cron jobs in GoDaddy last night and emails are showing all worked O.K…
Works like a charm, thank you so much.
No worries! Glad you found it useful.
Thanks for VERY clear explanation of how to get GoDaddy cron jobs working for WP-o-Matic!
One question: I did exactly what you said, and now every time it runs I get this message:
“curl: (7) couldn’t connect to host”
I triple checked to make sure I have exactly what you described in the command line… no extra spaces or whatever. Any ideas?
Thank you!
Hi Zoltan,
This may seem like a strange recommendation; I recommend trying the Cron job a bit later. GoDaddy seems to have a bit of downtime each day (for backups?) therefore the CURL error may just be related to GoDaddy being unavailable. My Cron Jobs have been running fine today but I do know that my sites with GoDaddy each go ‘down’ for a few minutes each day.
Thanks Gary. It’s been happening for more than a day now. Although they’re not always very helpful, I think I’m going to break down and contact GoDaddy customer support.
Thanks!
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Hi, thanks for the suggestion on setting this thing to work, BUT I have done all the things upthere exactly the same, and the fetch didn’t automatically run. I tried seevral times to make it the same n still once again i didn’t run.
1. ‘Unix cron’ is checked
2. I’ve already put this on cron manager in Godaddy hosting server ‘/usr/bin/curl http://example.com/wp-content/plugins/WP-o-Matic/cron.php?code=‘mycode’
3. and click Save.
Plus the campaign setting on wp-o-matic.
Is there any settings that i haven’t set/missed since i heard some people need to install simplepie. Thanks in advance. Btw i use wordpress 2.9
is that true about simple pie thing ?
Hi Jeffry,
No, there are no additional WordPress Plugins required to make WP-O-Matic Cron work with Godaddy hosting. Godaddy Cron is working fine with WP-O-Matic on various WordPress 2.9 installs I have.
Are your WP-O-Matic files at ‘http://yourdomain.com/wp-content/plugins/WP-o-Matic’?
Thanks
yes, previously i used the one like :
/usr/bin/curl http://domain.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-o-matic/cron.php?code=2ac3487c IT DIDN’T WORK
then base on your suggestion dude, I tried:
http://domain.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-o-matic/cron.php?code=2ac3487c
and, still, IT DIDN’T WORK,
then i contacted go daddy support they suggest me to put something like : $home there like,
/web/cgi-bin/php5 “$HOME/html/wp-content/plugins/wp-o-matic/cron.php”
but still IT DIDN’T WORK.
Your help and others’, will be really appreciate it dude!
many thanks in advance
yes, my wp-o-matic file at domain.com/wp-content/plugins/WP-o-Matic
Hi Jeffry,
I recommend contacting Godaddy support as it is not obvious why the cron isn’t working.
Hey Gary
I am not at godaddy, I manage my own dedicated linux server, and I am quite familiar with the cron process.
The wp-o-matic cron *shows* on the dashboard logs that it has executed, both when the main options>>use unix cron is checked, and when it is unchecked but the campaign>>edit>>options>>frequency is set.
However it does not fetch posts in either case. The only time I can execute the fetch and grab feeds is by clicking the campaigns>>fetch link.
The path checks out, files are in place. The main Options screen shows that Cron is set up to handle fetching.
I have the latest version of wordpress and wp-o-matic.
I’m stumped! I will be grateful for any suggestions.
Thanks
Mike
Hi Mike,
I’m certain that I’ve read of a similar problem before but I can’t seem to find where I read about this particular Cron/WP-O-Matic problem. Sorry but I’m not able to help on this one. Anyone else able to help out?
Cheers
yeah this cron things really sucks and lame, i dunno who experince succeed with this stuff, even godaddy support was not able to help as they said, this is their limitation on script thingy. Now the only thing i can do is, go to wp-o-matic plugins and fetch it manually.. OMG ! what’s the function of the cron job hanged there then ????
I think this is because the latest WP version 2.9, as the rumor said some earlier version worked well.
pls help everyone… I beg. lol