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Setting up a Dolibarr cronjob: running scheduled jobs

For Dolibarr, you call the address public/cron/cron_run_jobs_by_url.php every five minutes, with the security key and a user login. Dolibarr shows this address ready-made in the settings of the "Scheduled jobs" module. You only copy it into Cronjob.de; you do not need a crontab on the server.

Updated:

Why at all

The module plans, but it does not start

The "Scheduled jobs" module lists jobs with a time and a repetition. That looks like a finished schedule. According to the Dolibarr wiki, though, the module has to be triggered from outside every five minutes. Without that trigger Dolibarr executes none of the jobs.

Everything meant to happen in the background then stalls. Dolibarr itself registers jobs there such as recurring invoices, email reminders before invoice due dates, agenda event reminders and the email collector. Add-on modules add their own jobs.

This often surfaces late. In the job list only the "Start date of latest execution" field stays empty, and nobody looks there as long as nothing is missing.

URL to call
https://ihre-domain.de/public/cron/cron_run_jobs_by_url.php?securitykey=...&userlogin=admin
Recommended interval
every 5 minutes
Tested with
Dolibarr 14 bis 24
Sufficient Cronjob.de plan
The free plan is enough for the five-minute interval.

Setup

Step by step

The AI does it faster

You do not have to transfer any of this by hand. Paste this guide – or the one for your own system – into the assistant, and Cronjob.de fills in address, method, schedule and headers. Where something is unclear it asks instead of guessing. At the end you see what was entered and create the job with one click.

Included in the free plan at no extra cost. You will find it after signing in under "Cronjobs" → "Create with AI".

  1. Enable the module and copy the address

    Under Home → Setup → Modules/Applications enable "Scheduled jobs" and open the cog next to it. You will find the "Security key for URL to launch cron jobs" there. The icon next to it can generate a random value; save afterwards. Below it Dolibarr shows the complete "URL to check and launch qualified cron jobs from a browser". Copy this address in full.

    https://your-domain.com/public/cron/cron_run_jobs_by_url.php?securitykey=YOURKEY&userlogin=admin

  2. Check the address once in a browser

    Open the address yourself once. A text output ending in "Result:" is correct, for example Result: 3 jobs - 1 launched = 1 OK + 0 KO. "Securitykey is wrong." means the key does not match. A 404 error means the path is wrong; in some installations Dolibarr sits in a /htdocs/ subfolder. Older guides still mention cron_run_jobs.php. That file no longer exists since Dolibarr 14.

  3. Create an account at Cronjob.de

    Registration takes a minute and is free. Five cronjobs stay free forever, the first 14 days run on the Unlimited plan.

    Start for free 14 days of Unlimited included, no payment details

  4. Create a cronjob with that address

    Paste the address and choose a five-minute interval. That is also the interval the Dolibarr wiki names. You can also just type the sentence "every 5 minutes" and the schedule is set for you.

    */5 * * * *

    You can enter this expression at Cronjob.de exactly as it is – the schedule field understands crontab notation. But you do not have to know it: simply click the schedule together instead.

  5. Switch on error notifications

    Enter an email address under Notifications. If recurring invoices quietly stall, you often only notice when a customer asks. Failure notifications by email are included from the Plus plan, and free during the first 14 days.

What the five fields of an expression like */5 * * * * mean is explained in the crontab reference – with examples and the most common pitfalls. You can build the expression in the crontab generator. Whether you need an outside service at all is shown in the comparison of the three ways.

Verification

Is it actually running?

In Dolibarr open Home → Admin Tools → Scheduled jobs. Every job shows "Start date of latest execution" and "Next execution". Both should move within a few minutes. From Plus, the Cronjob.de call log also shows the output of each run, i.e. the "Result" line with the number of jobs launched.

FAQ

Common questions about Dolibarr

How often does the Dolibarr cronjob have to run?
Every five minutes, as the Dolibarr wiki says. The call only checks which jobs are due and starts them. The short interval makes sure a job scheduled for 8:00 actually runs shortly after 8 and not much later.
The key sits in the address. Is that a problem?
Treat it like a password: anyone who knows it can trigger your scheduled jobs. Dolibarr designs the address this way. Two things help: use a long random value (the icon next to the field generates one) and renew it if you suspect a leak. Afterwards the new address has to be entered at Cronjob.de as well.
What is the userlogin parameter for?
Dolibarr runs the jobs on behalf of that user. The address in the module settings contains the user you are currently signed in as. Use a user who holds the necessary rights. If the user does not exist, Dolibarr reports "User login: … do not exists".
I get "Securitykey is wrong."
The key in the address does not match the one in the module. A common cause is a truncated value when copying. Copy the address again in full from the module settings. If the key is missing entirely, the message is "Securitykey is required."
Can I trigger a single Dolibarr job on purpose?
Yes. Append &id= with the job number to the address. Dolibarr shows a second address for this in the module settings. That is handy when one job needs a different interval than the rest. Create a second cronjob for it.
Is your server rejecting our calls? Error 403 almost always comes from a firewall, a security plugin or directory protection – not from your script. All our calls carry the fixed identifier Cronjob.de in the user agent. Ask your host for an exception for it; that is more reliable than allowing IP addresses, because ours can change. Addresses and details in the FAQ. Other errors such as 401, 404 or 500 are explained in the troubleshooting guide.

Create your cronjob now

Create an account, enter the address, click the schedule. Five cronjobs are free forever, the first 14 days run on the Unlimited plan.

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More guides

Official documentation of Dolibarr

The details about Dolibarr come from their own documentation, as of October 2026. Please check there whether anything has changed since. Dolibarr is a trademark of its respective owner. This guide comes from Cronjob.de and has no business relationship with that provider.

By Joscha Schultze, operator of Cronjob.de · Written with AI assistance, provider details checked against their official pages.