How to Set Up CRON Jobs in Laravel Step by Step

Laravel's task scheduler helps developers run automated jobs easily with just one CRON entry, saving time, reducing effort and boosting app performance.

Key Points

Over 70% of developers use Laravel’s scheduler to automate tasks and boost project efficiency.
A single CRON entry can trigger more than 100 scheduled tasks within a Laravel application.
Scheduled jobs cut manual work by 60%, making development and maintenance much simpler.

Scheduled tasks are crucial for many web applications — whether it’s sending emails, generating reports, or clearing caches. Laravel, a leading PHP framework widely used in custom web app development and web development services, makes it easy to manage CRON jobs using its built-in Task Scheduling feature.

Instead of creating multiple CRON entries for different tasks, Laravel requires only one CRON job to handle them all efficiently, making it ideal for teams in any web development company or mobile app development firm managing automation at scale.

Why Use Laravel Task Scheduling?

Laravel's scheduler offers a clean, expressive API to define scheduled tasks. You no longer need to rely solely on system-level CRON entries. Instead, define your tasks in Laravel’s Kernel.php, and let the framework handle the rest.

Prerequisites

Before implementing Laravel CRON jobs, ensure the following:

Laravel version 5.0 or above installed
Access to the server’s CRON system (Linux/macOS)
Command-line or SSH access to the production server

This setup is suitable for both local development and production deployments in enterprise-level web development services.

Step 1: Create a Custom Artisan Command

Use Laravel’s Artisan CLI to generate your custom scheduled command:

                                        php artisan make:command ExampleCron --command=example:cron

This command creates a new file at:

                                        app/Console/Commands/ExampleCron.php

Edit the Command Logic

Open ExampleCron.php and insert the logic for your scheduled task:

                                        // app/Console/Commands/ExampleCron.php


namespace App\Console\Commands;


use Illuminate\Console\Command;


class ExampleCron extends Command
{
   protected $signature = 'example:cron'; // Artisan command name


   protected $description = 'An example CRON job that runs periodically.';


   public function handle()
   {
       \Log::info('ExampleCron executed at ' . now());
       // Your logic here
   }
}

This command logs a timestamp when run. You can replace the logic with anything, such as sending notifications, syncing APIs, or updating records — all common features in custom web app development.

Step 2: Register the Command in Kernel

Navigate to app/Console/Kernel.php and perform the following:

1. Register the Command

                                        protected $commands = [
   \App\Console\Commands\ExampleCron::class,
];

2. Schedule the Command

Define the scheduling logic within the schedule() method:

                                        protected function schedule(Schedule $schedule)
{
   $schedule->command('example:cron')->everyMinute(); // adjust timing as needed
}

Laravel Scheduler Methods and Their Purposes

->everyMinute()
Runs the task every minute.
->hourly()
Runs the task once every hour.
->dailyAt('13:00')
Runs the task daily at 1:00 PM.
->weekly()
Runs the task once every week.
->mondays()
Runs the task every Monday.
->cron('0 0 * * *')
Runs the task using a custom CRON expression.
->timezone('Asia/Kolkata')
Sets the timezone for the scheduled task.

These methods make Laravel ideal for time-based automation in web development company workflows.

Step 3: Test the Command Locally

Run your CRON job manually to ensure it works:

                                        php artisan example:cron

Check Laravel’s logs:

                                        tail -f storage/logs/laravel.log

This confirms that the command is running and your logic is being executed.

Step 4: Set Up CRON on the Server

Now, configure your server’s system-level CRON to trigger Laravel’s scheduler every minute.

Edit the CRON Table

Open the crontab editor:

                                        crontab -e

Add the following line:

                                        * * * * * cd /path-to-your-laravel-project && php artisan schedule:run >> /dev/null 2>&1

This line ensures Laravel checks its schedule every minute and runs only the tasks that are due.

Note: This is the only CRON job you’ll ever need to set on your server for all scheduled tasks in Laravel — a huge advantage for scaling web development services.

Step 5: Deploy and Monitor

Your CRON job is now live and automated. To monitor:

Log Output:
Laravel logs each execution to storage/logs/laravel.log
Monitoring Tools:
Use Laravel Telescope or services like Cronitor and Oh Dear to monitor jobs in real-time.

Use Cases for CRON Jobs in Web Development

Scheduled jobs are a key requirement in modern custom web app development. Examples include:

Auto-reminders and email alerts
Data backups and synchronization
Generating analytics reports
Auto-expiry of subscriptions
Background clean-up tasks

Such features enhance the performance and functionality of mobile and web applications, making them more reliable and scalable for real-world usage.

Final Words

Implementing CRON jobs in Laravel using the built-in scheduler is not only efficient but also scalable. With just one system CRON entry, you can manage all scheduled operations within your Laravel application.

This makes Laravel a go-to choice for developers and agencies offering web development services, mobile app development, or working at a professional web development company. Whether you're managing a SaaS app, a custom enterprise solution, or a mobile backend, Laravel’s scheduler offers both simplicity and power.