Setting up a WP All Import cronjob: imports and exports on a schedule

Setup

Step by step

1. Create an import with a retrievable file

   A scheduled import fetches the file again on every run. In the import settings, enter the URL of your XML or CSV file. According to the documentation this also works with an FTP or SFTP source or with the “Use existing file” option.

2. Get the trigger and processing URLs

   Open All Import › Manage Imports and click Scheduling Options next to the import. Choose Manual Scheduling there. You do not need to save anything; according to the documentation the cron URLs are always active. You find the secret key (import_key) under All Import › Settings and the import ID under Manage Imports. Treat the addresses like a password.

   https://your-site.com/wp-load.php?import_key=…&import_id=5&action=trigger
   https://your-site.com/wp-load.php?import_key=…&import_id=5&action=processing

3. Create an account at Cronjob.de

   Registration is free, no payment details needed. For the first 14 days you have all features, including the two-minute interval. After that you need the Plus plan for it.

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

4. Cronjob 1: trigger URL

   Create a cronjob with the trigger URL and choose the interval at which the import should run, for example daily at 3 am. If the import should run weekly, the documentation says to call the trigger URL once a week. You can assemble the schedule by clicking, type it as a crontab expression or describe it in one sentence.

   0 3 * * *

   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. Cronjob 2: processing URL

   Create a second cronjob with the processing URL, interval every two minutes. Leave out the &rand="$RANDOM suffix from the command examples in the documentation: $RANDOM is a command line variable and is used there against caching. You can also paste the email template from the documentation into the AI assistant. It reads the addresses and schedules from it.

   */2 * * * *

   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.

6. Set up exports the same way

   For WP All Export Pro open All Export › Manage Exports › Scheduling Options and choose Manual Scheduling. The addresses contain export_key and export_id; you find the key under All Export › Settings. The trigger URL runs as often as you want to export, the processing URL every two minutes. According to the documentation, the File URL and Bundle URL on the same page are for retrieving the latest export file, not for starting it.

7. Switch on error notifications

   Enter an email address under Notifications. 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?

First run the trigger cronjob once by hand, then the processing cronjob. The Cronjob.de call log shows the time, runtime and status code, and from Plus upwards the WordPress response as well. Status 200 means WordPress accepted the call. Whether the import created and updated posts or products you see under All Import › Manage Imports and in the content itself. According to the documentation you cancel a running import with the same address and action=cancel.

FAQ

Common questions about WP All Import

How often does the WP All Import processing URL have to run?

Every two minutes. The vendor documentation says: “The processing URL should be run every two minutes because it may not finish your import in one run.” At Cronjob.de the two-minute interval is available from the Plus plan. On the free plan the shortest interval is five minutes.

What is the difference between the trigger URL and the processing URL?

The trigger URL starts an import and runs as often as you want to import, for example daily. The processing URL does the work in stages and runs every two minutes. If there is nothing to do, calling it has no effect. Without the processing URL a triggered import does not finish.

Do scheduled imports work with the free version of WP All Import?

According to the plugin page on WordPress.org, “Cron Job/Recurring Imports from external URLs” are part of WP All Import Pro. The WP All Export page also lists scheduled exports among the features of the Pro version.

Do I need cronjobs if I use “Automatic Scheduling”?

No. Automatic Scheduling is a paid add-on service from the vendor. You then set the schedule inside WP All Import, and the service calls your site at the scheduled time. The documentation names cronjobs as the second way (“Manual Scheduling”). This guide covers that way.

What happens if a processing call takes longer than 60 seconds?

We wait 45 seconds on the free plan and 60 seconds on the paid plans, then we hang up. According to the documentation, the next processing call checks whether work is left and carries on. Whether PHP keeps working after we hang up depends on the settings of your server.

The call asks for a username and password. What now?

Then a directory protection (.htaccess) sits in front of the site. Enter the credentials in the two credentials fields of the cronjob form, and the call authenticates itself.