How to use the cron functionalty feature in Fastbay
If you rely on non-standard ways to update your shop’s products stock (eg. massive/bulk imports, custom scripts, database queries …) that don’t rely on native Prestashop update products hook –
you can use the cron functionality to automatically sync your catalog quantities / products on eBay.
Note that no cron will not be needed if Prestashop is used in a standard way (via backoffice and hooks system) , as the module will automatically sync the products on Save / Save and Stay
(see “How the module products synchronization works” in the FAQ for more information).
Important : In order for the cron to work properly, make sure you have enabled “Force Sync” button in General tab of the module :
The feature allows products to be updated on eBay via browser or with a cronjob set on the server.
This tab shows the various links to be set with the description of every performed operation.
At the end of the synchronization, email notification will be sent to the shop administrator (or to mail recipients configured in the form at the bottom of page)
with an useful report / log with information to understand what exactly happened during the cron session (processed products and sync status / eBay response).
Products considered by a cron execution are the same as the counts that can be retrieved in the module (in Fast Sync section).
All module configurations will therefore be considered during product counting and processing (eg mapped categories / synchronization types / price surcharges , etc.)
Note that you can optionally add the &dryrun=1 parameter at the end of the cron link to test the outcome of the cron and send the notification email without any eBay update.
Advanced users can also combine more than one parameter into a single URL to perform multiple operations with a single cron launch.
Tip:- If you have very large catalogs, avoid unnecessarily updating all the products. This, in addition to taking a long time, may require very high server power / execution times.
Remember that the module offer the way to only update products “modified from the last import” (using the reviselastimport parameter in cron) by comparing the last product update date against the last Fastbay synchronization date.
If you use external scripts or bulk services to update the stock of your products, make sure that they only act on the products you want to edit, by updating the date.
This will allow you streamline and effective upgrades.
Technical notes :- Cron implementation on you server must be done after the operation has been tested using the browser link to verify its success.
The implementation of automatic cron execution on your server at scheduled times must be performed by your hosting provider or by a qualified system administrator.
We can not offer any support in this because its configuration is not strictly tied to the module and may vary depending on your kind of server / hosting.
We always recommend checking that the cron works properly by launching its link directly from your browser.
If the operation is successful, a scheduled task malfunction may not depend by technical problems in the module, but by a wrong or missing server-side configuration.
Cron execution times may vary depending on the number of products to be processed, eBay response time, and overall server performance.
Cron running through the browser allows you to verify the success of the operation, which is confirmed by sending the mail at the end of the job.
How to troubleshoot cron problems : During a cron execution, you server maximum execution time (max_execution_time) is raised to 3600 seconds to ensure correct execution and no timeout while updating the products.
Note that some hosting may ignore this setting and reduce the maximum execution time at their discretion; therefore, you may need to increase the parameter manually (or ask your hosting to do so)
if you experience unexpected behaviours (timeout errors / server error). In general, we do not recommend launching cron with all available options (add / revise / close).
If you need to add and close products, you should only use the “add” and “close” options.
If you need to upgrade your products because you are using import systems, we suggest launching the cron with the only “reviselastimport” option,
taking care to have your import system update the date of the modified products.