How to replace wp-cron with cron job without WP Toolkit

Question

How can the default WordPress cron be replaced with a real cron job?

Answer

WordPress's wp-cron is not a real cron job. Rather than running at a scheduled time, it runs as the pages load, causing low-traffic sites to miss scheduled posts. Creating a cronjob to run wp-cron will ensure that scheduled posts are not missed regardless of site traffic.

1. Open the site's wp-config.php file in a text editor, either through SSH or the cPanel File Manager.

2. Add the following line after the <?php line.

   CONFIG_TEXT: define('DISABLE_WP_CRON', true);

3. Save the changes and close the text editor.
4. Log into the user's cPanel account.
5. Open the "Cron Jobs" application in the "Advanced" section of cPanel.

6. Create a new cron job that runs the following command every 15 minutes.

   CONFIG_TEXT: wget -q -O - http://domain.tld/wp-cron.php?doing_wp_cron >/dev/null 2>&1

   CPANEL_WARN: "domain.tld" must be replaced with the site's domain name.

Additional Resources

How to edit files via File Manager

How to edit a file on command-line

How to create or edit cron jobs in the cPanel user interface