cron_actions

Features

What it does: Cron Actions provides a plugin-based system for executing scheduled operations on entities. Site builders configure "cron actions" that combine a source (what to process) with an action (what to do), running on a defined schedule.

Key features:

• Cron expression scheduling — Use standard 5-field cron syntax for precise control (e.g., 0 9 * * 1-5 for weekdays at 9 AM)
• Plugin architecture — Extensible Source and Action plugins for custom behaviors
• Cooldown throttling — Prevent reprocessing the same entity within a configurable period
• Queue-based execution — Reliable asynchronous processing that won't timeout
• Built-in Mail Action — Send templated emails with token support
• Admin interface — Create and manage scheduled actions through the UI

Use cases:

• Send reminder emails to users inactive for 30+ days
• Notify authors when content is approaching expiration
• Trigger periodic maintenance on entities matching specific criteria
• Archive or unpublish outdated content automatically

Post-Installation

After enabling the module:

1. Navigate to Administration → Configuration → System → Cron Actions
2. Click Add cron action
3. Configure your action:
   • Label: A descriptive name
   • Cron expression: When to run (e.g., 0 0 * * * for daily at midnight)
   • Source plugin: Selects which entities to process
   • Action plugin: Defines what operation to perform
   • Cooldown days: Optional delay before reprocessing the same entity
4. Save and ensure cron is running on your site

Permissions: Grant "Administer cron actions" to trusted roles that should manage scheduled actions.

Note: The module ships with a Mail Action plugin. To add custom sources or actions, developers can create plugins in a custom module (see README
for examples).

Additional Requirements

• Drupal 10 or Drupal 11
• PHP 8.2 or higher
• dragonmantank/cron-expression library (installed automatically via Composer)

No additional Drupal modules are required.

Recommended modules/libraries

• Token — Enables token replacement in the Mail Action plugin. When installed, you can use tokens like
  [user:name] and [node:title] in email subject and body fields.
• Ultimate Cron — Provides advanced cron job management if you need finer control over when Drupal cron
  runs.

Similar projects

• Scheduler — Focused specifically on publishing/unpublishing content at scheduled times. Cron Actions is
  more general-purpose, allowing any action on any entity type through its plugin system.
• Rules — Provides event-condition-action workflows. Cron Actions focuses specifically on cron-triggered,
  entity-targeted operations with built-in throttling.
• ECA — A powerful automation framework. Cron Actions offers a simpler, focused solution for scheduled entity
  processing without the complexity of a full automation system.

Supporting this Module

Development of this module is supported by the community. If you find it useful:

• Report issues and contribute patches in the issue queue
• Leave a review on the project page

Community Documentation

• See the README.md in the module for developer documentation and plugin examples