# Set up the phpVMS cron job

https://vmshost.io/kb/a/set-up-the-phpvms-cron-job

phpVMS needs a cron job, a task that runs every minute. Without it, these features don't work:

- Emails and notifications
- Finances
- vaCentral features

## Add the cron job in cPanel

1. Open your hosting plan in the client area. On the **Management** tab, click **Cron Jobs**.
2. Under **Common Settings**, select **Once Per Minute**.
3. In **Command**, type the command below, with the path to your phpVMS folder.
4. Click **Add New Cron Job**.

```
/usr/local/bin/php -q /home/youruser/phpvms/bin/cron
```

Change **/home/youruser/phpvms** to the folder that holds phpVMS, not the public folder. If you used the automated installer, it's the folder that ends in `.phpvms`.

`/usr/local/bin/php` runs the server's default PHP version. If you chose a different PHP version for your site, use that version instead: `/usr/local/bin/ea-php83` for PHP 8.3, `/usr/local/bin/ea-php84` for PHP 8.4, and so on. See [Change your PHP version and settings](https://vmshost.io/knowledgebase/article/change-your-php-version-and-settings).

phpVMS can suggest the command for you. In the phpVMS admin panel, go to **Maintenance**.

If you can't run the job every minute, use 5, 15 or 30 minutes. Some phpVMS tasks run at those intervals.

## Web cron

If you can't get the cron job to work, use the web cron instead. In the phpVMS admin panel, go to **Maintenance** and click **Enable/Change ID** under **Web Cron**. phpVMS shows a private URL:

Use an external web cron service to open that URL every minute. Keep the URL private. If someone else gets it, click **Enable/Change ID** to make a new one.