How to use FastCron to trigger exports on a custom schedule

GravityExport can schedule automated exports on its own, every hour, twice a day, daily, weekly, every 30 days, or every so many hours. When you need a schedule those intervals can’t express, such as every Tuesday and Thursday at 9:27 AM, an external cron service can run the export for you through the feed’s webhook URL. This article uses FastCron as the example.

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What is a webhook trigger? #

When a GravityExport Save feed’s Export Type is All Entries, you choose how the export is triggered. One option is Webhook, which gives the feed a Webhook URL once you save it. When that URL is requested, GravityExport runs the export and saves the file according to the feed’s settings, as long as the feed is active.

This means any service that can send an HTTP request to a URL can trigger your export, with no WordPress login required. The URL answers “Export finished” or “Export failed”, which gives you a quick way to check your setup. A feed set to Scheduled also has an On-Demand Trigger URL that works the same way.

What is FastCron? #

FastCron is an external cron job service that visits a URL on a schedule you define. It has a free plan; its pricing page lists the current limits.

1. Set up a webhook trigger in GravityExport #

Before you can use FastCron, you need a webhook URL from your GravityExport Save feed.

1. In your WordPress admin, go to Forms, hover over your form and click Settings, then open the GravityExport Save tab. On GravityExport 1.15 and 1.16, the tab appears only once the form’s download URL is enabled (on the GravityExport tab), or once the form has an active Save feed.
2. Open the Save feed you want to trigger externally, or click Add New to create one. Its Export Type must be All Entries.
3. Under Export Trigger, select Webhook.
4. Click Save Settings.

After saving, the Webhook URL appears below the trigger setting. Click Copy URL to Clipboard to copy it.

2. Create a free FastCron account #

1. Go to www.fastcron.com.
2. Sign up for a free account.

3. Add a new cron job in FastCron #

From your FastCron dashboard, click + Cron Job.

Next, paste your GravityExport webhook URL into the URL field.

4. Configure your custom schedule #

FastCron provides two ways to set your schedule:

Using preset intervals

FastCron includes several preset scheduling options, similar to GravityExport’s built-in scheduler. Select one of the available presets if it matches your needs.

Using a cron expression

For more granular control, click the Crontab tab. This lets you define exactly when the cron job runs by specifying:

• Minute: the minute of the hour (0 to 59)
• Hour: the hour of the day (0 to 23)
• Day: the day of the month (1 to 31)
• Month: the month of the year (1 to 12)
• Weekday: the day of the week (0 to 6, where 0 is Sunday)

For example, to run an export every Tuesday at 8:00 AM, you would set:

5. Save your cron job #

Once you’ve configured the schedule, click Save Changes. Your cron job is now active and will trigger your GravityExport feed on the schedule you defined.

A webhook export runs while the cron service waits for your site to answer, and it is not split into smaller batches. On a large form the export can take longer than the service is willing to wait, and the service may then report a timeout. After the first run, open the feed’s Activity Log tab to confirm the export finished.

Using webhook URLs with other automation tools #

The webhook trigger URL isn’t limited to cron services. You can also use it with automation platforms like:

• Zapier: add the webhook URL as an action step in any Zap.
• Make: use an HTTP module to call the URL as part of a scenario.
• n8n: include the URL in an HTTP Request node within your workflow.

This makes it possible to trigger a GravityExport feed in response to external events, such as a new row being added to a Google Sheet, a Stripe payment being completed, or a form submission on another platform.

Summary #