Are you looking to resolve the missed schedule post error in WordPress?
WordPress provides a convenient feature for scheduling posts to be automatically published at a later time. However, there might be instances where scheduled posts fail to publish as expected.
In this guide, we’ll demonstrate how to effectively address the missed schedule post error in WordPress, ensuring your scheduled posts are published on time.
What Causes WordPress to Miss Scheduled Posts?
The missed schedule post error in WordPress can be attributed to issues within your web hosting environment or conflicts with plugins.
Typically, when you schedule a post in WordPress to be published later, the platform utilizes a technology called ‘Cron’ or ‘WordPress Cron’ to automate the publication process at the specified time.
However, disruptions caused by your WordPress hosting provider’s server or conflicts with plugins can interfere with WordPress cron jobs, leading to missed scheduled tasks, such as the publication of posts.
The missed schedule error usually occurs for individual blog posts, as shown in the WordPress dashboard. While some cron jobs may continue to function sporadically, like checking for updates or deleting auto-saved drafts, once the initial publishing time is missed, WordPress won’t reschedule the post for a different time.
Although this issue isn’t prevalent for most users, it can become a recurring problem for some bloggers, causing frustration and distraction from content creation.
Now, let’s explore how to easily resolve the missed schedule post error in WordPress.
How to Fix WordPress Missed Schedule Post Error
To resolve the missed schedule post error in WordPress, follow these steps:
Install and activate the ‘Missed Scheduled Post Publisher’ plugin. If you need guidance on installing a WordPress plugin, refer to our comprehensive guide.
The plugin functions seamlessly upon activation, requiring no additional configuration.
How Does the Missed Scheduled Post Publisher Plugin Work?
The plugin operates by checking your website every 15 minutes to identify any scheduled WordPress posts that may have missed their publication time.
Upon detecting any missed scheduled items, the plugin automatically changes their status from ‘scheduled’ to ‘published.’ In essence, it serves as a trigger for scheduled posts on your WordPress website.
This functionality applies not only to regular posts but also to pages, products, and any other custom post types present on your WordPress site.
Rest assured, we designed this plugin with a focus on minimizing any impact on your WordPress site speed, recognizing the critical importance of speed for SEO. It is the same plugin we use on our own WordPress websites.
Troubleshooting the Missed Scheduled Posts Error in WordPress
If the installation of the scheduled post trigger plugin does not promptly resolve the missed scheduled posts error on your website, consider trying the following troubleshooting tips.
1. Verify Your WordPress Timezone Settings
Ensuring the correct time zone is set is crucial after installing WordPress. Occasionally, users overlook this step, causing a mismatch between their WordPress timezone and the desired timezone for publishing and managing the website.
Navigate to Settings » General in your WordPress dashboard and scroll down to the ‘Timezone’ section. Here, select your timezone or the preferred timezone for your WordPress website.
Don’t forget to click the ‘Save Changes’ button to store your settings.
2. Clear the WordPress Cache
If your WordPress posts continue to miss their schedule, it may be due to a poorly configured caching plugin.
Try clearing the WordPress cache and ensure that your caching plugin is set up correctly to automatically clear the cache at regular intervals.
3. Increase the WordPress Memory Limit
A potential cause for the missed schedule post error could be a low memory limit on your WordPress website. You can address this by allowing WordPress to utilize more server memory, enhancing its overall performance.
To implement this, you’ll need to access your wp-config.php file using an FTP client such as FileZilla or the File Manager app in cPanel within your WordPress hosting dashboard. Locate the file in your root folder.
For step-by-step instructions, refer to our guide on using FTP to upload files to WordPress.
Before proceeding, we highly recommend creating a backup of your wp-config.php file to avoid any potential mistakes. Learn how to back up your site by reading our guide.
Next, add the following code to your wp-config.php file, placing it just before the line that says, ‘That’s all, stop editing! Happy publishing.
define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '500M');
4. Disable wp-cron and Set Up a New Cron Job
WordPress cron, also known as wp-cron, might be failing to execute scheduled tasks such as publishing posts on time. Disabling wp-cron and configuring a new cron job on your web hosting provider’s operating system can help ensure that scheduled tasks are performed as expected.
To implement this solution, follow our comprehensive guide on disabling wp-cron in WordPress and establishing appropriate cron jobs for smooth operation.