How to Add a Recurring CRON Job to Terminate Specific Processes

If a website script generates excessive server load or contains inefficient code, you can temporarily mitigate the issue by creating a CRON job that automatically terminates a specific process at regular intervals. This should only be used as a temporary workaround while the root cause is being investigated and fixed.

Create the Script

First, connect to your hosting account via SSH.

Create a new script file:

touch process-admin-ajax.sh

Open the file for editing using your preferred text editor:

mcedit process-admin-ajax.sh

Add the following content:

#!/bin/bash
pkill -f admin-ajax.php
echo done

Save the file and exit the editor.

Make the script executable:

chmod 755 process-admin-ajax.sh

How the Script Works

• pkill -f admin-ajax.php searches for running processes containing admin-ajax.php in their command line and terminates them.
• echo done outputs a confirmation message when the script runs.

Add the CRON Job

1. Log in to the hosting control panel.
2. Navigate to Additional Services → CRON Jobs.
3. Click Add to create a new scheduled task.
4. Select BASH as the task type.
5. Enter the full path to the script you created.
6. Configure the execution interval according to your requirements.
7. Click Add Task to save the configuration.