What this product does
WordPress sites accumulate maintenance chores: cleanup, reports, content syncs, and “ping this URL when X happens.” Many teams bury those chores in undocumented cron jobs that only one developer understands.
WP Automation Runner gives you an operator console to run jobs on demand (Free), then graduate to schedules, outbound webhooks, and team-aware controls on Pro — including hooks useful for AI-agent workflows when you are ready.
Who it is for
- Site operators who want visible, repeatable maintenance actions
- Agencies standardizing “Friday cleanup” style jobs across clients
- Product teams connecting WordPress events to external systems via webhooks (Pro)
Free vs Pro (accurate matrix)
Free includes
- Manual job runner — trigger jobs from wp-admin when you need them
- 3 built-in jobs — starter maintenance actions ready to run
- Email alerts — know when a job finishes or fails
Pro — $20/month
- Unlimited schedules — recurring automation without babysitting
- Custom webhooks — notify external tools when jobs complete
- AI agent hooks — connect practical agent workflows safely
- Team roles — control who can run or edit automations
Install
- Download Free from /free-plugins/.
- Upload and activate in WordPress.
- Open the Automation Runner screen and review the three built-in jobs.
- Run one job manually and confirm the email alert arrives.
- On Pro, add schedules only after manual runs look correct.
Use WP-Cron Helper if your host disables or stalls default WP-Cron.
Operator tips
- Prefer idempotent jobs (safe to re-run) for anything on a schedule.
- Keep webhook secrets out of public themes; store them in environment / secure options.
- Pair with Debug Log Analyzer when a job fails mysteriously.
- Heavy custom workflows (RAG agents, billing hooks) may need AI Agents & RAG or Micro-SaaS MVP studio work.
What it does not do
- It is not a full iPaaS / Zapier replacement for every SaaS on earth.
- It does not bypass capability checks — privileged jobs still require proper WordPress roles.
- It will not invent business logic for your product; Pro hooks are for connections you define.
FAQ
Do schedules use WP-Cron?
Yes — scheduling depends on a healthy cron environment. If traffic is low, configure a real system cron hitting wp-cron.php.