Action Scheduler

Older reviews praise it as a reliable scheduling library, while the most recent ones report it filling databases with millions of claims and logs that can't be cleared, dragging servers down.

How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.

Directory searches this plugin turns up in, and which way each one is moving. WordPress.org publishes no history of search positions, so this starts the day we first tracked a keyword and never backfills.

wp.org is where the directory puts the plugin for that search. On merit is where it would sit if results were ranked on rating, support and updates, without the install boost. The last column is how far the wp.org position moved, from our first reading in the last 90 days to the latest.

74 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 49 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words).

Directory rank vs rivals

wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you

How often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.

Share of active installs on each version of this plugin. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.

Crossed into this band 10 months ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 84% of the way through.

1. ★★★★★ pol

   11mo ago

   I was missing the actionscheduler_logs table in my database. This plugin detected it and restored it. Thanks for your efforts ! Pascal.

   Read on wp.org ↗
2. ★★★★★ smokex365

   1.0y ago

   I started wondering why my db server was tracking TB’s of internal traffic. After a few days I tracked it down to this plugin. It was scheduling millions of claims and logs. You can’t manage any of them through the GUI without other 3rd party plugins and even then Action Scheduler just re-adds anything tasks you delete or attempt to pause. This means GB’s of useless garbage from claims and logs in my DB which slowed my server to a crawl trying to delete. I tried reinstalling the plugin. Tried pausing its schedule. Nothing work. Well, not nothing. Uninstalling the plugin and deleting the tables it added worked fine. No more 4GB WP DB or 4-6TB or network traffic. Considering I never even intentionally installed this plugin I find it incredibly frustrating how broken and incomplete it is. Do better.

   Read on wp.org ↗
3. ★★★★★ mfwriter

   1.6y ago

   Everything works as stated. There was a problem with hung tasks, now cron+wp cli executes everything. Other options did not work to solve the problem.

   Read on wp.org ↗
4. ★★★★★ Auke Piersma

   2.6y ago

   What this plugin/library adds to WordPress is incredibly powerful. It’s asynchronous execution of actions gives developers incredible possibilities. The fact that plugin developers have the option to integrate this plugin/library into their own plugins is fantastic. Keep up the good work!

   Read on wp.org ↗
5. ★★★★★ traqbar

   2.7y ago

   Only tested it, I didnt like it, and now it wont leave. Manually removing tables – crashes my site. Sucking the life out of my server. I have to ask support for how to get rid of it. Horrible Horrible

   Read on wp.org ↗
6. ★★★★★ Alexander Guskov

   2.9y ago

   This plugin is a classical malware:1) it acts hidden: it integrates in WordPress core, don’t identificate itself for site owner, don’t allow any management of it’s activity or control for site owner. 2) It secretly and non-stop (every minute) allocates all server resources displacing all useful processes like processing user’s requests and all others too. It slow down site in times. From my experience “server response time” decreased from 7-8s to 1,2s just as I started to limit this malware, but I still can’t stop or remove it completely (there is no woocommerce on my site, but I believe that it were the result would be more impressive). 3) It acts as extension to WordPress’s wp_cron service. All that it does can be done under pure wp_cron but not hidden and without slowing down site. So, it’s crear to understand that if some other plugin use Scheduled Actions it does it only to hide something from site owner eyes or/and slow down site (probably to upsale pro version that acts without Scheduled Actions. 4) There is no way how to completely stop neither uninstall it neither remove it’s actions neither it’s wp_cron task. 5) It’s impossible just to short circle some functions in it to stop it’s working – it’s code made the way that it break site down if someone try to stop it. I have found the way to limit it’s activity but can’t stop it completely. 6) All question to developers regarding this behavior return with answer like “it runs as we wish, keep enjoying slow down your site” or buy our other plugins or employ us to find why your site is slow down. Explanations about clear difference with Scheduled Actions working as they with and limited they just ignore. I strictly advice plugin developer run a mile of this malware otherwise site owners have to remove already your plugins accusing already you in the fatal slow of their sites and probably with criminal charge (at least in EU). This topic was modified 2 years, 7 months ago by Alexander Guskov.

   Read on wp.org ↗
7. ★★★★★ unapersona

   3.3y ago

   A must-use if you want to schedule any type of task, no more wp_schedule headaches.

   Read on wp.org ↗
8. ★★★★★ Kevin Pirnie

   3.6y ago

   Developers refuse to support their own plugin. I have no use for something that does not work, and something the developers will not support. Cannot and will not recommend to anyone… sadly will not make much of a difference because it’s in use in every site that utilizes WooCommerce, but, whatever…

   Read on wp.org ↗

Recent releases and news for this plugin

1. 2026-09-16 Version 4.2.0 Fix – Enforce unique action inserts atomically and release stale uniqueness keys during scheduled cleanup. Fix – Show the per-page Screen Option on WooCommerce’s Scheduled Actions tab. Fix – Show the number of actions an 4.2.0
2. 2026-08-05 Version 4.1.0 Fix – Correct an oversight in the lock implementation (used to rate-limit async request runners) that could leave a lock permanently stuck and result in database errors in unusual cases. Fix – Correct the behavior of the 4.1.0
3. 2026-06-16 Version 4.0.0 Breaking change: action args are taken into account when scheduling unique actions. Breaking change: failed actions are now automatically purged after 3 months by default, controlled by the action_scheduler_retention_per 4.0.0
4. 2025-07-15 Version 3.9.3 Add hook ‘action_scheduler_ensure_recurring_actions’ specifically for scheduling recurring actions. Assume an action is valid until proven otherwise. Implement SKIP LOCKED during action claiming. Import get_flag_value() 3.9.3
5. 2025-02-03 Version 3.9.2 Fixed fatal errors by moving version info methods to a new class and deprecating conflicting ones in ActionScheduler_Versions 3.9.2
6. 2025-01-21 Version 3.9.1 A number of new WP CLI commands have been added, making it easier to manage actions in the terminal and from scripts. New wp action-scheduler source command to help determine how Action Scheduler is being loaded. Additio 3.9.1

Automated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0.1

Translated into 5 languages, 2 at 90% or more

Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.

Not measured yet for this plugin’s topics. Its tracked searches are not among the measured topics. See the topics measured so far.

Growth timeline

Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow

1. 2025-12-31 10K+ → 20K+ up after 81 days in tier
2. 2025-10-11 20K+ → 10K+ down after 13 days in tier
3. 2025-09-28 10K+ → 20K+ up after 472 days in tier
4. 2024-06-13 9K+ → 10K+ up after 88 days in tier
5. 2024-03-17 8K+ → 9K+ up after 98 days in tier
6. 2023-12-10 7K+ → 8K+ up after 1 days in tier
7. 2023-12-09 8K+ → 7K+ down after 2 days in tier
8. 2023-12-07 7K+ → 8K+ up after 106 days in tier

Competes with

The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).

Embed this report card

Drop a live Pulse card for Action Scheduler into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.

Action Scheduler: 20K+ active installs, 3.5★ (13 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/action-scheduler