OpenClaw Cron Not Running — How to Diagnose and Fix It

Cron jobs not running is one of the most frustrating OpenClaw issues — especially when you can't tell if it's a config problem, a gateway issue, or just bad timing. Here's a systematic way to debug it.

Step 1: Check the Gateway is Running

No gateway = no crons. Full stop.

openclaw gateway status
# Expected: Gateway running | Connected channels: X | LLM: ok

# If not running:
openclaw gateway start

# If it keeps stopping, check logs:
openclaw gateway logs --tail 50

Step 2: Verify the Cron Exists and Is Enabled

openclaw cron list
# Look for your cron in the list
# Check: name, schedule, enabled status, last run time

# If the cron is disabled:
openclaw cron enable hex-your-cron-name

# If it doesn't appear in the list:
openclaw cron add ... # recreate it

Step 3: Check the Schedule Syntax

Invalid cron expressions silently fail to register. Common mistakes:

# WRONG — don't use shorthand like @daily in OpenClaw:
@daily
@weekly

# CORRECT — use standard 5-field cron syntax:
0 9 * * *      # Daily at 9am
0 9 * * 1-5    # Weekdays at 9am
*/15 * * * *   # Every 15 minutes
0 9 * * 1      # Mondays at 9am

# Verify your cron schedule online:
# crontab.guru is helpful for testing expressions

Step 4: Check the Timezone

# Check what timezone your gateway is using:
openclaw gateway status | grep timezone

# Check system timezone:
date
timedatectl  # Linux

# If timezone is wrong, update your system timezone:
sudo timedatectl set-timezone Asia/Calcutta  # Example

# The gateway uses the system timezone — no separate config

Step 5: Check the Agent ID

Crons bound to the wrong agent ID won't run in your session.

# List crons with agent info:
openclaw cron list --show-agent

# Your cron should show --agent main (or your agent ID)
# If it shows a different agent, recreate it with the correct ID:
openclaw cron add \
  --name "hex-your-cron" \
  --schedule "0 9 * * *" \
  --agent main \
  --task "your task here"

Step 6: Test with a Manual Trigger

# Manually fire the cron right now:
openclaw cron run hex-your-cron-name

# Watch the output:
openclaw gateway logs --follow
# You should see the cron executing in real-time

If the manual trigger works but the schedule doesn't fire, it's a scheduling issue (timezone or syntax). If the manual trigger also fails, it's a task execution issue.

Step 7: Check for Task Errors

openclaw gateway logs --tail 100 | grep -i "error\|failed\|cron"

Common execution failures:

• LLM API key expired or invalid
• Rate limit hit on the provider
• Tool permission denied
• Task prompt too long for the model's context

Step 8: Recreate the Cron

If everything else checks out, delete and recreate:

openclaw cron delete hex-your-cron-name
openclaw cron add \
  --name "hex-your-cron-name" \
  --schedule "0 9 * * 1-5" \
  --agent main \
  --task "your task here"

openclaw cron list  # Verify it appears

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