Background Tasks

Groundhogg's Background Tasks are a powerful feature that ensures smooth operations by handling heavy processing tasks asynchronously. These tasks are executed in the background to maintain performance and prevent server overload. Here's an overview of how they work and their key features:

What Are Background Tasks in Groundhogg?

Background tasks in Groundhogg are designed to manage time-consuming or resource-intensive operations like:

• Sending bulk emails.
• Processing automation queues.
• Handling imports and exports.
• Managing database cleanups.
• Syncing data with external systems (e.g., CRMs or email platforms).

How Do Background Tasks Work?

Groundhogg uses a queue-based system that processes tasks in small batches. This approach ensures that:

1. Server Performance is maintained by splitting large jobs into manageable chunks.
2. Timeouts are avoided by processing tasks over multiple requests rather than all at once.
3. Reliability is improved because the system retries failed tasks until they're successfully completed.

Groundhogg leverages WordPress Cron (WP-Cron) or server-based cron jobs to trigger these tasks.

Key Features

1. Task Queueing:
   • All tasks are added to a queue and processed one at a time in the order they were added.
   • Ensures that no task is skipped or overlooked.
2. Automatic Retrying:
   • If a task fails (e.g., due to a server error), Groundhogg automatically retries it.
3. Batch Processing:
   • Tasks like sending emails or importing contacts are broken into smaller groups to avoid overloading the server.
4. Progress Tracking:
   • Groundhogg provides detailed logs and progress indicators in the admin interface, allowing users to monitor the status of background tasks.
5. Fallback Options:
   • If WP-Cron is unreliable, a server-based cron job can be set up to trigger tasks more reliably.

Examples of Background Tasks

1. Email Queues:
   • Emails scheduled for bulk sending are processed in batches to ensure delivery without slowing down the site.
2. Automations:
   • When running a complex automation sequence, steps are processed as background tasks.
3. Data Import/Export:
   • Large CSV files are handled without crashing the site, thanks to batching.
4. Database Cleanup:
   • Groundhogg periodically removes outdated data, logs, and temporary entries to optimize database performance.

Managing Background Tasks

1. Check Progress:
   • Navigate to Groundhogg → Tools → Logs → Background Tasks to view and troubleshoot tasks.
2. Optimize Cron Jobs:
   • For reliable execution, set up a server-based cron job instead of relying solely on WP-Cron.
3. Troubleshooting:
   • Ensure your hosting environment supports cron jobs.
   • Review logs for errors and adjust memory limits or execution time as needed.