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Recurring Jobs

Recurring Jobs automate repetitive bulk editing tasks by running them on a regular schedule. This feature is perfect for ongoing maintenance tasks, regular price updates, inventory synchronization, and other routine operations.

What are Recurring Jobs?​

Recurring Jobs are scheduled bulk edits that repeat automatically at specified intervals. Unlike one-time scheduled jobs, these run continuously according to your defined schedule until you stop them.

Benefits​

  • Automate Routine Maintenance - Keep your store updated automatically
  • Consistent Operations - Ensure regular tasks never get forgotten
  • Save Time - Eliminate repetitive manual work
  • Maintain Data Quality - Regular cleanup and optimization

Creating Recurring Jobs​

Step 1: Configure Your Bulk Edit​

  1. Set up filters to select your target products
  2. Configure the modifications to apply
  3. Test with preview to ensure accuracy
  4. Verify the changes are appropriate for recurring execution

Step 2: Set Recurrence Schedule​

  1. Click "Schedule Job" and select "Recurring"
  2. Choose your recurrence pattern:
    • Daily - Every day, weekdays only, or custom days
    • Weekly - Specific days of the week
    • Monthly - Specific date or relative day (first Monday, last Friday)
    • Custom - Advanced cron-style scheduling
  3. Set the time of day to run
  4. Choose timezone and start date

Step 3: Configure Job Settings​

  1. Job Name - Descriptive name for the recurring task
  2. Description - Explain the purpose and any special notes
  3. Notifications - Email alerts for completion or failures
  4. End Conditions - When to stop the recurring job (optional)

Recurrence Patterns​

Daily Schedules​

Every Day

Frequency: Daily
Time: 2:00 AM
Use Case: Inventory synchronization with external systems

Weekdays Only

Frequency: Monday through Friday
Time: 6:00 AM
Use Case: Business day price updates

Custom Days

Frequency: Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Time: 12:00 PM
Use Case: Mid-week inventory checks

Weekly Schedules​

Weekly Maintenance

Frequency: Every Sunday
Time: 3:00 AM
Use Case: Weekly SEO optimization and cleanup

Multiple Days

Frequency: Tuesday and Thursday
Time: 10:00 AM
Use Case: Bi-weekly promotional updates

Monthly Schedules​

First of Month

Frequency: 1st day of every month
Time: 12:00 AM
Use Case: Monthly pricing updates

Last Business Day

Frequency: Last weekday of every month
Time: 5:00 PM
Use Case: End-of-month inventory reports

Relative Scheduling

Frequency: First Monday of every month
Time: 9:00 AM
Use Case: Monthly new product launches

Common Use Cases​

Inventory Management​

Daily Stock Sync

Schedule: Daily at 1:00 AM
Filters: Inventory tracking = "Enabled"
Actions: Import inventory levels from CSV/API
Purpose: Keep stock levels synchronized with warehouse

Low Stock Alerts

Schedule: Daily at 8:00 AM
Filters: Inventory quantity < 5 AND Status = "Active"
Actions: Add "low-stock" tag, send notification
Purpose: Identify products needing restock

Pricing Automation​

Competitor Price Matching

Schedule: Daily at 6:00 AM
Filters: Product type = "Electronics"
Actions: Update prices based on competitor data
Purpose: Maintain competitive pricing

Dynamic Pricing Adjustments

Schedule: Weekly on Sundays at 11:59 PM
Filters: Tags contains "dynamic-pricing"
Actions: Adjust prices based on demand/inventory
Purpose: Optimize pricing for profitability

SEO and Content​

SEO Optimization

Schedule: Weekly on Saturdays at 2:00 AM
Filters: SEO title is empty OR SEO description is empty
Actions: Generate SEO content from templates
Purpose: Improve search engine visibility

Content Updates

Schedule: Monthly on 1st at 12:00 AM
Filters: Product type = "Seasonal"
Actions: Update descriptions with seasonal content
Purpose: Keep product content fresh and relevant

Product Lifecycle​

Seasonal Transitions

Schedule: First day of each season at 12:00 AM
Filters: Tags contains "seasonal-transition"
Actions: Update status, pricing, and visibility
Purpose: Automate seasonal product changes

New Product Processing

Schedule: Daily at 9:00 AM
Filters: Tags contains "needs-processing"
Actions: Apply standard formatting and SEO
Purpose: Standardize new product setup

Managing Recurring Jobs​

Job Dashboard​

View and manage all recurring jobs:

  • Active Jobs - Currently running on schedule
  • Paused Jobs - Temporarily stopped
  • Completed Jobs - Finished or manually ended
  • Failed Jobs - Encountered errors and stopped

Job Controls​

Pause/Resume

  • Temporarily stop a recurring job
  • Resume when ready to continue
  • Useful for maintenance or testing periods

Modify Schedule

  • Change frequency or timing
  • Update filters or modifications
  • Adjust notification settings

End Job

  • Permanently stop a recurring job
  • Set end date for automatic termination
  • Archive completed jobs for reference

Monitoring and Alerts​

Execution Tracking

  • View history of each job run
  • See success/failure rates
  • Monitor performance trends

Notifications

  • Email alerts for job completion
  • Immediate alerts for failures
  • Weekly summary reports

Error Handling

  • Automatic retry for temporary failures
  • Detailed error logs for troubleshooting
  • Escalation for persistent issues

Best Practices​

Job Design​

Keep It Simple

  • Focus on single, specific tasks
  • Use clear, stable filter criteria
  • Test thoroughly before enabling recurrence

Error Resilience

  • Design jobs to handle missing data gracefully
  • Use conditional logic for edge cases
  • Plan for products that no longer match filters

Scheduling Strategy​

Avoid Peak Hours

  • Schedule during low-traffic periods
  • Consider your customers' time zones
  • Stagger multiple jobs to prevent conflicts

Resource Management

  • Limit concurrent job execution
  • Monitor system performance impact
  • Adjust frequency based on data volume

Data Safety​

Backup Strategy

  • Ensure regular backups before major changes
  • Test rollback procedures
  • Monitor data integrity after job runs

Validation

  • Include data validation in job logic
  • Set reasonable limits on changes
  • Review job results regularly

Troubleshooting​

Job Not Running​

Check Schedule Settings

  • Verify timezone configuration
  • Confirm recurrence pattern is correct
  • Check if job is paused or ended

System Issues

  • Review system status and maintenance windows
  • Check for API rate limiting
  • Verify app permissions and access

Inconsistent Results​

Data Changes

  • Products may no longer match original filters
  • Product structure or fields may have changed
  • External data sources may be unavailable

Timing Issues

  • Consider data update timing from other systems
  • Account for processing delays
  • Adjust schedule to avoid conflicts

Performance Problems​

Large Data Sets

  • Break large jobs into smaller batches
  • Use more specific filters to reduce scope
  • Schedule during off-peak hours

Resource Conflicts

  • Stagger job execution times
  • Monitor system resource usage
  • Optimize job logic for efficiency

Advanced Features​

Conditional Execution​

Run jobs only when certain conditions are met:

Execute only if:
- Inventory file was updated in last 24 hours
- More than 10 products match filters
- No other jobs are currently running

Dynamic Filters​

Use date-based or calculated filters:

Filters:
- Created date > 30 days ago
- Price changed in last week
- Inventory updated today

Chained Jobs​

Create sequences of related jobs:

Job 1: Update inventory levels (Daily 1:00 AM)
Job 2: Tag low stock items (Daily 1:30 AM)
Job 3: Generate restock report (Daily 2:00 AM)

Security and Compliance​

Access Control​

  • Restrict recurring job creation to authorized users
  • Require approval for high-impact recurring jobs
  • Audit trail of all job modifications

Data Protection​

  • Encrypt sensitive data in job configurations
  • Secure API credentials and external connections
  • Comply with data retention policies

Next Steps​