Schedule problems

This page covers automatic tasks on the Schedules page, like timed restarts and backups. See Schedules for the basics.

My schedule never runs

Why it happens: The schedule may be disabled, have no tasks, have a wrong cron time, or skip because the server is offline.

How to fix it:

1. Open the schedule and check that Schedule Enabled is on.
2. Make sure it has at least one task.
3. Check the cron fields (see the cheat sheet below).
4. Check whether Only When Server Is Online is on and the server was offline.
5. Use Run Now on the schedule to test it. It starts the tasks right away, without waiting for the next cron time. If Only When Server Is Online is on and the server is offline, nothing happens.
6. If Run Now works but the timed run never does, open a ticket.

It runs at the wrong time

Why it happens: Cron times use the panel server’s timezone, not your local one. Stock Pterodactyl uses UTC unless the host changes it, and we have not confirmed a different setting here, so test to be sure. A schedule can seem hours off.

How to fix it:

1. Test with a schedule a few minutes ahead and see when it actually fires.
2. Work out the difference between that time and your local time.
3. Adjust the hour field in the cron by that difference.
4. If you cannot work it out, open a ticket and say what time you expected and what happened.

I do not understand the cron fields

Why it happens: Cron has five fields in this order: minute, hour, day of month, month, day of week.

How to fix it:

1. Use the cron cheatsheet in the schedule editor.
2. See the examples at the bottom of this page.

Only When Server Is Online is skipping runs

Why it happens: With this option on, a run is skipped if the server is Offline or Stopping. That is expected. It cannot be used to start a stopped server.

How to fix it:

1. For a task that must start the server (a Start power action), turn Only When Server Is Online off.
2. Leave it on for tasks like commands that only make sense while running.

My restart schedule does not restart the server

Why it happens: Common causes are Only When Server Is Online skipping because the server was offline, a task with the wrong action, or the schedule not being enabled.

How to fix it:

1. Make sure the task type is Send power action and the action is Restart.
2. Confirm the schedule is enabled and the cron time is right.
3. Check the Activity page for schedule events.
4. Some games handle a restart better if you first send a warning command, then wait, then restart. See task order below.

A command in my schedule does nothing

Why it happens: The task sends text to the game’s console, exactly like typing it. If the command is wrong for that game, or the server is not ready, it does nothing.

How to fix it:

1. Type the same command into the Console yourself to check that it works.
2. Do not add a leading slash unless the game’s console expects one.
3. Make sure the server is Online at that time.

Tasks run in the wrong order or too fast

Why it happens: Tasks run in the order they are listed. Time offset controls the wait after the previous task, in seconds, up to 900.

How to fix it:

1. Put a warning command first, then a task with an offset (for example 60), then the restart.
2. The offset on the first task is ignored.
3. Remember the offset delays the task after the one before it, not from the schedule start.

Later tasks do not run after one fails

Why it happens: If one task fails, the rest of the chain normally stops. Continue on Failure only helps if the failure is a connection error to the game node (it does not help with other kinds of failure).

How to fix it:

1. Fix the failing task first.
2. Put risky tasks last.
3. Turn on Continue on Failure if you want later tasks to try anyway.

My backup task fails

Why it happens: If you are at your backup limit and every backup is locked, a new one cannot be made. Otherwise, a scheduled backup deletes the oldest unlocked backup to make room.

How to fix it:

1. Unlock and delete a backup you do not need. See Backup problems.
2. Use fewer locked backups.

The schedule ran but nothing happened, and it says server is installing, suspended or restoring

Why it happens: Tasks are stopped if the server is installing, suspended, or restoring a backup at that time.

How to fix it:

1. Wait for the install or restore to finish.
2. If the server is suspended, see Renewals.

I cannot create or edit a schedule

Why it happens: Subusers need schedule permissions to create, read, update, or delete schedules.

How to fix it:

1. Ask the server owner to give you schedule permissions. See Users.

My schedule is set to every minute or every 5 minutes by accident

Why it happens: The editor starts with */5 * * * *, which means every 5 minutes.

How to fix it:

1. Change the minute and hour fields to the exact time you want.
2. Check the examples below.

Restart does not save the game first

Why it happens: A power Restart stops the game the normal way, but some games need extra time or a save command first.

How to fix it:

1. Add a Send command task to save the world, add an offset, then add the restart.
2. Check the game’s page under Games for the correct save command.

Cron cheat sheet

Format: minute hour day-of-month month day-of-week

• Every day at 04:00: 0 4 * * *
• Every 6 hours: 0 */6 * * *
• Every 30 minutes: */30 * * * *
• Every Monday at 03:30: 30 3 * * 1
• Every hour on the hour: 0 * * * *
• First day of the month at midnight: 0 0 1 * *
• Weekdays at 08:00: 0 8 * * 1-5

Times follow the panel server’s timezone (UTC by default in stock Pterodactyl), not your local one. The panel’s own cheat sheet on the Schedules page shows similar examples. If the time seems off, see the timezone item above.

Still stuck?

Open a ticket or ask on Discord. See Contact support. Include the schedule’s cron fields and what you expected to happen.