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How to Schedule Cron Jobs and Tasks in Coolify

A practical guide to Coolify Scheduled Tasks: add application or Compose jobs, use five-field cron syntax, choose the right container, set timeouts, test executions, and troubleshoot skips and failures.
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In Coolify, create a task from an application’s Scheduled Tasks page (or a service’s Configuration > Scheduled Tasks page), enter the command as it runs inside the target container, choose a five-field cron expression or supported named schedule, set a 60–36,000-second timeout, and save. Coolify checks for due work every minute, using the timezone configured on the server running the resource.

What a Coolify scheduled task does

Coolify’s scheduled-task feature runs a command inside an application or service container on a recurring schedule. The scheduler is therefore tied to the deployed resource: it does not run the command on your laptop, in the Coolify dashboard itself, or in the host shell by default.

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Every task has five practical decisions:

  • Name: a short label that identifies the job’s purpose.
  • Command: the exact command to execute inside the selected container.
  • Frequency: a five-field cron expression or a supported named schedule.
  • Timeout: how long Coolify allows the process to run.
  • Container target: the application or service container that contains the command, when more than one container is available.

Coolify’s scheduler dispatches due work every minute. That minute-level polling is not a promise that every command starts at the exact second represented by its expression; it means Coolify evaluates the schedule once per minute and starts work that is due. The server running the resource supplies the schedule’s timezone, so a task set for midnight runs at midnight in that server’s configured timezone, not necessarily in the timezone of the person who created it.

Before creating a task

Confirm these conditions first:

  • The application or service is deployed and currently running.
  • The command can execute successfully in the container’s own shell environment.
  • You know which container contains the executable, application code, environment variables, and files the command needs.
  • The connected server is functioning and reachable by Coolify.
  • You have chosen a schedule and a timeout appropriate for the job’s longest expected run.

For a data-changing task, test the command from the resource’s Terminal before enabling a recurring schedule. This catches missing binaries, incorrect working directories, permissions, credentials, and application-level errors without waiting for the next scheduled run.

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How to add a scheduled task to an application

  1. Open the application. In the Coolify dashboard, select the application that should run the command.
  2. Open Scheduled Tasks. Choose the application’s Scheduled Tasks section.
  3. Select + Add. This opens the task form.
  4. Name the task by purpose. Names such as run Laravel scheduler, purge expired sessions, or send daily digest make execution history easier to interpret than a generic name such as job1.
  5. Enter the command exactly as the container should run it. The official example is php artisan schedule:run. Do not prepend docker exec. Coolify enters the selected container for you, so adding a host-level Docker command can make the task fail because that command or socket is unavailable inside the container.
  6. Choose the frequency. Enter a five-field cron expression, such as 0 0 * * * for once daily at midnight, or choose a supported named schedule such as daily.
  7. Set the timeout. Coolify accepts values from 60 to 36,000 seconds and uses 300 seconds by default. Pick a value that covers normal runtime while still stopping a hung process.
  8. Select a container when necessary. If the application has multiple running containers, choose the one that contains the command and its dependencies. If there is only one relevant container, Coolify can use it without an explicitly saved container name.
  9. Save the task. A newly saved task is created enabled.
  10. Run a controlled test. While the resource is running, choose Execute now. Then open Recent executions and check the status, start and end times, duration, and captured output.

Use Execute now after changing a command, container, or timeout as well as when first creating a task. It separates configuration problems from cron-timing problems: if a manual execution fails, changing the expression will not fix the underlying command or target.

Task settings and safe values

Setting What to enter Important behavior
Name A short, purpose-based label The name appears in the task list and execution history.
Command A command valid inside the selected container, such as php artisan schedule:run Do not add docker exec; Coolify selects and enters the container.
Frequency A five-field cron expression or supported name such as daily Due work is evaluated every minute.
Timeout 60–36,000 seconds The default is 300 seconds; exceeding the limit fails the execution.
Container The container that contains the command, when a target must be selected Leaving a multi-container target ambiguous can cause failure.

Understanding Coolify’s cron frequency

Coolify accepts the conventional five-field cron form. The fields represent, in order, minute, hour, day of month, month, and day of week. Asterisks mean “any value”; numbers and cron operators constrain when the task is due.

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Expression Meaning Qualification
0 0 * * * At minute 0 of hour 0 Once daily at midnight in the connected server’s timezone.
daily A supported named daily schedule Use only names accepted by the Coolify frequency field.

Keep the timezone in mind when converting a business requirement such as “run at 09:00 local time.” The relevant clock is the timezone configured for the server running the resource. If servers in different regions host otherwise identical deployments, the same expression can become due at different UTC times.

Because Coolify evaluates schedules every minute, sub-minute schedules are not part of this feature’s documented model. A task should also be designed to tolerate a small dispatch delay and to be safe if an operator uses Execute now during the same period as an automatic run.

Running a command in a Docker Compose service

Compose resources use a slightly different navigation path and target-selection rule.

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  1. Open the Compose resource.
  2. Go to Configuration > Scheduled Tasks.
  3. Select the Compose service component that should run the command.
  4. Enter the command in the service container’s own shell context; do not wrap it in docker exec.
  5. Set the frequency and timeout, then save and test with Execute now.

If you enter a target manually, use the Compose service name, for example mysql. Do not append Coolify’s generated -<service-uuid> suffix. The service name is the stable component identifier Coolify expects.

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When exactly one component container is running, Coolify can use it without a saved container name. When several component containers are running, leaving the target ambiguous can make the task fail. Select the component explicitly whenever there is more than one plausible target, especially when a Compose project contains separate web, worker, scheduler, database, and migration services.

Test a task before relying on it

1. Run the command in Terminal

Open the resource’s Terminal and run the command exactly as it will appear in the task. Confirm that the expected executable exists, the working directory is correct, required environment variables are present, and the process exits successfully. For a command that modifies records or files, first use a safe test input or a non-production resource.

2. Execute the saved task manually

With the resource running, choose Execute now. This tests Coolify’s container targeting and task configuration in addition to the command itself.

3. Inspect Recent executions

Open Recent executions and review:

  • the reported status;
  • start and end times;
  • total duration; and
  • captured command output.

A successful process exit confirms that the process ended successfully from the scheduler’s perspective. It does not prove that the intended rows, files, messages, or external side effects changed. Verify the result in the application or the external system the command is supposed to affect.

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4. Check the first automatic run

After the manual test, wait for the next due time and inspect the execution record again. This confirms that the expression, server timezone, enabled state, and minute-level dispatch all align with your expectation.

Why a Coolify task can be skipped

A skipped execution is different from a command that started and returned an error. Coolify skips scheduled work when any of these conditions applies:

  • The task is disabled. Check the task’s enabled state before changing the command.
  • The application or service is not running. Starting the resource is required before the task can run inside its container.
  • The connected server is not functional. A scheduler cannot dispatch work to a server that is unavailable or unhealthy.

If the task is skipped, changing the cron expression or increasing the timeout does not address the cause. Restore the resource or server, confirm the task is enabled, and then use Execute now to validate recovery.

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Why a task can fail after it starts

Symptom or cause What to check Corrective action
No target container is running Resource status and the selected container Start the resource and choose a running container that contains the command.
Configured container or Compose component cannot be found Container selection and, for Compose, the service name Select the correct component; omit Coolify’s generated -<service-uuid> suffix from a manually entered Compose service name.
Command exits with a nonzero status Recent execution output and a Terminal run Fix the command, path, permissions, dependencies, or application error inside the container, then execute it again.
Timeout exceeded Execution duration compared with the configured limit Optimize the job or raise the timeout within the 60–36,000-second range.
Manual run succeeds but expected data did not change Application logs, database records, files, or external destination Verify the command’s business effect; a zero exit status alone is not proof of the intended result.

Container-target mistakes

The most common multi-container mistake is selecting a container that is running but does not contain the application command. For example, a database container may be healthy while a framework command belongs in the web or worker container. Select the container that has the executable, source code, configuration, and credentials the command needs.

Command-context mistakes

Do not assume the host has the same filesystem or tools as the container. A command that works over an SSH session on the server may fail inside the application image, and a command that works in the container Terminal may fail if you add host-oriented syntax such as docker exec. Use the exact in-container command in the task field.

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Timeout mistakes

The 300-second default is suitable for short jobs but not an automatic guarantee for imports, cleanup operations, or reports that occasionally run longer. Measure normal duration from Recent executions, leave headroom for the slowest expected run, and avoid setting an extreme timeout merely to hide a hung process. The maximum accepted value is 36,000 seconds.

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Designing reliable recurring jobs

Make the command repeatable

A scheduled command may be run manually for testing and automatically at its next due time. Prefer operations that are idempotent or that record what they have already processed, so a retry does not duplicate messages, rows, invoices, or files.

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Keep the task’s responsibility narrow

Use one task for one operational purpose. Separate a database backup, cache cleanup, report generation, and notification dispatch instead of hiding unrelated operations in one opaque shell line. Separate execution records make failures and runtimes easier to diagnose.

Account for overlap

If a job can run longer than its interval, decide how the command should behave when a previous invocation is still active. The scheduler’s timeout limits each process, but your application should still prevent duplicate work through locking, idempotency, or a queue-aware design.

Validate effects, not just exit codes

After deployment, define the observable result: a row count changes, a file appears, a queue drains, or an external API receives an expected request. Check that result after the first automatic execution and after meaningful command or image changes.

Choosing Coolify tasks versus another scheduler

Coolify Scheduled Tasks are a good fit when the command belongs to a deployed application or service and should run in the same container context as that resource. The feature gives you a dashboard-managed command, a defined timeout, container targeting, manual execution, and captured execution history.

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When evaluating an external host cron or an in-application scheduler, compare these dimensions before moving the job:

  • Execution context: Coolify runs the command inside the selected resource container; another scheduler may run on a host, worker, or application process.
  • Timezone source: Coolify uses the connected server’s configured timezone. Confirm which clock the alternative uses.
  • Stopped-resource behavior: Coolify skips work when the application or service is not running. Determine whether the alternative queues, skips, or starts work independently.
  • Output visibility: Coolify exposes status, timing, duration, and captured output in Recent executions. Check how the alternative stores and alerts on logs.
  • Timeout control: Coolify requires a 60–36,000-second timeout. Confirm the alternative’s process and timeout controls.
  • Container targeting: Coolify requires the correct application container or Compose service when several are running. Verify that an alternative executes where the required files, environment, and network access exist.

These differences matter more than the cron expression itself. A schedule can be syntactically correct and still run in the wrong timezone, on the wrong machine, or without the application state it needs.

A practical launch checklist

  • The resource is running and the connected server is functional.
  • The task is enabled.
  • The command has been tested in the resource’s Terminal.
  • The command is written for the container and does not include docker exec.
  • The selected container or Compose service contains the command and its dependencies.
  • The frequency is a valid five-field expression or supported named schedule.
  • The server timezone has been confirmed for the intended due time.
  • The timeout is between 60 and 36,000 seconds and covers the expected runtime.
  • Execute now completes successfully.
  • Recent executions show the expected output and duration.
  • The application or external destination shows the intended real-world result.

Bottom line

To schedule work in Coolify, add a task under the application’s Scheduled Tasks page or a Compose resource’s Configuration > Scheduled Tasks page. Enter the command as it runs inside the chosen container, use a five-field cron expression or supported named schedule, set a 60–36,000-second timeout, and select the exact container or Compose service when more than one is running. Coolify evaluates due work every minute in the connected server’s timezone. Test in Terminal, run Execute now, inspect Recent executions, and verify the intended data or external effect rather than relying on a zero exit status alone.

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