> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developer.upsun.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Set up cron jobs

> Understand how to configure Symfony cron jobs.


Cron jobs allow you to run scheduled tasks at specified times or intervals.
To set up a cron job, add a configuration similar to the following:

```yaml .upsun/config.yaml theme={null}
applications:
  myapp:
    crons:
      snapshot:
        spec: 0 5 * * *
        commands:
          start: |
            croncape symfony ...
```

To run a command in a cron hook for specific environment types,
use the `PLATFORM_ENVIRONMENT_TYPE` environment variable:

```yaml .upsun/config.yaml theme={null}
applications:
  myapp:
    crons:
      snapshot:
        spec: 0 5 * * *
        commands:
          start: |
            # only run for the production environment, aka main branch
            if [ "$PLATFORM_ENVIRONMENT_TYPE" = "production" ]; then
              croncape symfony ...
            fi
```

## Use croncape

When using the [Symfony integration](/docs/get-started/stacks/symfony/integration),
you can use `croncape` to get feedback through emails when something goes wrong.

To specify which email address `croncape` must send the feedback emails to,
add a `MAILTO` environment variable.
To do so, run the following command:

```bash theme={null}
symfony var:create -y --level=project --name=env:MAILTO --value=sysadmin@example.com
```

To ensure better reliability, `croncape` sends the emails using:

* `project-id@cron.noreply.platformsh.site` as the sender address (`project-id+branch@cron.noreply.platformsh.site` for non-main environments)
* the provided [UpsunSMTP service](/docs/get-started/stacks/symfony/environment-variables#emails), even if you define your own `MAILER_*` environment variables

To use a custom SMTP and/or custom sender address, follow these steps:

1. To specify a sender address, define a [`MAILFROM` environment variable](/docs/get-started/stacks/symfony/environment-variables#symfony-environment-variables).

2. Define the mandatory [environment variables to use your own email service](/docs/get-started/stacks/symfony/environment-variables#emails).
   Note that only SMTP connections are supported.

3. To disable the provided SMTP service, run `symfony upsun:env:info enable_smtp false`.

<Info>
  To use `croncape`, SMTP must be enabled on the environment, where the [`PLATFORM_SMTP_HOST`](/docs/development/variables/use-variables#use-provided-variables) environment variable is accessible.
  This variable is available, and SMTP enabled, by default on all production environments.

  This is not the case for preview (non-production) environments, where it must be enabled with the command `symfony cloud:env:info enable_smtp true`.
</Info>