Master Laravel Scheduled Tasks: From Command Creation to Cron Integration

Basic Usage

Scheduled tasks are a common requirement in backend development, often used for data aggregation, cleaning spam, etc. Laravel provides a complete scheduling toolset so you can focus on business logic while the framework handles the underlying work.

Generate Command

php artisan make:command AreYouOK

In Laravel 5.2 and earlier the command was generated with php artisan make:console xxx.

Edit Command

Edit the file app/Console/Commands/AreYouOK.php and adjust the following parts:

protected $signature = 'areyou:ok'; // command name
protected $description = '雷军，科技圈最会唱歌的男人'; // description (optional)

public function __construct()
{
    parent::__construct();
    // initialization code (optional)
}

public function handle()
{
    // place your task logic here
}

Register Command

Add the newly created class to the command list in app/Console/Kernel.php:

protected $commands = [
    \App\Console\Commands\AreYouOK::class,
];

Define Scheduling Logic

Within the schedule method of the kernel, specify how often the command should run:

protected function schedule(Schedule $schedule)
{
    $schedule->command('areyou:ok')
             ->timezone('Asia/Shanghai')
             ->everyMinute();
}

Laravel offers a variety of timing methods ranging from one minute to one year; you can call the appropriate one directly.

Register Laravel Scheduler with System Cron

Edit the system /etc/crontab file and add the following line (replace /var/www/xxxlaravel with your actual project path):

* * * * * root /usr/bin/php /var/www/xxxlaravel/artisan schedule:run >> /dev/null 2>&1

After updating the crontab, restart the cron service to activate the schedule: systemctl restart crond.service That’s the complete guide; feel free to explore further documentation as needed.