Background Jobs Overview #
Background jobs are automated tasks that run behind the scenes to keep your license system running smoothly.
What Background Jobs Handle #
- Checking for expiring licenses and sending reminders
- Processing subscription renewals
- Cleaning up old data
- Sending queued emails
- Detecting inactive activations
- Managing support contract expiration and renewals
These jobs run automatically using Action Scheduler (built into WooCommerce).
How Background Jobs Work #
| Step | What Happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Job Scheduled | Plugin schedules job for specific time |
| 2. Job Queued | Added to Action Scheduler’s queue |
| 3. Job Executes | Runs at scheduled time |
| 4. Job Completes | Results are logged |
| 5. Job Reschedules | If recurring, schedules next run |
Job Frequency Types #
| Frequency | Examples |
|---|---|
| Every 5 Minutes | Email queue processing |
| Hourly | Subscription renewal processing |
| Daily | License expiration check, stale activation cleanup |
| Weekly | Database cleanup |
Why Background Jobs Matter #
Without them, you’d need to manually:
- Check for expiring licenses every day
- Process subscription renewals
- Clean up old logs
- Check for stale activations
Background jobs save hours of work every week.