Imagine, you have meticulously crafted an awesome new blog article and scheduled it to be published on a certain date, only to find that your WordPress website fails to publish it. Panicked, you check your WordPress dashboard and notice that there is a frustrating “Missed Schedule” status for that blog article/post.
You are not alone. In fact, as professional web designers in Scottsdale, Arizona, this is an all-to-common occurrence about which we get contacted from our clients. But do not despair. In this article, I will explain why this happens and most importantly, how to fix it.
Why Do Scheduled Posts Fail in WordPress?
Fundamentally, the primary reason behind the missed schedule blog posts often boils down to how WordPress handles scheduled tasks. That is because such tasks rely on something called WP-Cron, which is the method by which scheduled events trigger specific actions, like publishing your posts. That said, WP-Cron is not your standard, server-based cron, which means that it only runs when someone visits your website. This in turn, can result in some common situations where things can go wrong. These may include the following.
Low Website Traffic
If your site does not get a sufficient number of regular visitors, WP-Cron might not be triggered frequently enough to publish your scheduled post on time. This is especially common for new blogs or those with low traffic volume.
Plugin Conflicts
Some plugins, especially those dealing with caching, security, or performance optimization, can interfere with WP-Cron’s ability to function correctly. Such plugin conflicts may end up inadvertently blocking the necessary processes or alter the way the system works.
Server Issues
Every once in a while, issues can arise at the server level, such as incorrect server time settings, or conflicts with other server processes, that can disrupt WP-Cron’s execution.
Incorrect WordPress Time Settings
If your WordPress time zone or time settings are incorrect, scheduled posts might trigger at a different time than intended, effectively missing the anticipated window.
Overloaded Cron System
If your WordPress website has too many scheduled tasks, the WP-Cron system might get overwhelmed, leading to failures in executing some of them.
How to Fix Missed Blog Post Schedules
Check Your WordPress Time Settings
General in your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Settings –> General –> Timezone. From here, confirm that your Timezone is set correctly. For example, if you are based in the Phoenix, AZ metro area, be sure that “Phoenix” is selected for your Timezone.
Next, make sure the Date Format and Time Format settings are as desired. Be sure to save any changes you make.
Install a “Cron Control” Plugin
Installing and activating a plugin such as WP Crontrol allows you to view and manage the cron events in your WordPress system.
Disable Caching Plugins Temporarily
Caching plugins could be the problem. Therefore, it is a good idea temporarily deactivate your caching plugins (e.g., WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache) to see whether or not such plugins are interfering with WP-Cron’s execution.
To do this, after disabling your caching plugins, try scheduling a new post to see if it publishes correctly.
If the issue resolves, you might need to adjust your caching plugin settings or reach out to their support for help on how to do this.
Deactivate Other Problematic Plugins
Identify and disable recently installed plugins or those that might be related to performance, database optimization or any kind of automation.
Now, start testing the scheduled post functionality. If the issue resolves, you can re-activate plugins one by one, testing after each activation to identify the problematic plugin.
Check Server Time and Contact Hosting Support
In rare cases, the issue may lie with the server itself. Verify with your hosting provider that the server’s time settings are correct.
If the problem persists, consider getting your hosting provider’s technical support team involved, as they might need to investigate server-side issues.
Adjust Your Scheduling Approach
If none of the preceding fixes completely resolves your issue, consider scheduling posts slightly ahead of time (e.g., 10 minutes) to give WP-Cron more time to execute.
Prevention is Best
While troubleshooting a WP-Cron issue can be effective, taking preventative measures may reduce the likelihood of encountering missed schedule errors. Here are a few tips.
Regularly Update WordPress, Themes and Plugins
Keeping all of your WordPress related software up to date is crucial for security and compatibility and can prevent conflicts.
Monitor Your Website’s Performance
Regularly check on your website’s health and performance. Poor performance can negatively impact WP-Cron’s ability to function correctly.
Use an Established Hosting Provider
A reliable hosting provider with good server infrastructure will minimize many potential issues with WP-Cron.
Missed WordPress post publishing schedules can be frustrating, but by understanding the underlying causes and following these troubleshooting steps, you can get your publishing schedule back on track.
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