---
title: "Homarr Tasks — Background Job Management"
aliases: [homarr-background-jobs, homarr-cron-tasks]
tags: [homelab, homarr, self-hosted, cron, background-jobs]
sources: [raw/Homarr documentation.md]
created: 2026-04-19
updated: 2026-04-19
---

## Overview

Homarr runs background jobs for real-time widget updates and other internal operations. The Tasks page lets admins inspect, manually trigger, reschedule, and disable these jobs.

**Version:** 1.59.2  
**Access:** `Management` > `Tools` > `Tasks` (admin-only)

## Schedule Intervals

Tasks run on cron expressions. Available presets:

| Interval | Use case |
|----------|----------|
| 1 minute | High-frequency widget refresh |
| 5 minutes | Default real-time updates |
| 10 minutes | Moderate polling |
| 30 minutes | Infrequent background sync |
| 1 hour | Slow-changing data |

> Cron semantics: the task fires at the **next matching tick**, not immediately after the interval is set.

## Actions Per Task

| Action | Button | Behavior |
|--------|--------|----------|
| Run now | Play | Executes immediately; badge shows `Running` |
| Disable | Power | Stops automatic scheduling; manual runs still work |
| Enable | Power-Off | Restores automatic scheduling |

- Disabling a task does **not** prevent manual execution.
- The `Running` badge clears once the job completes.

## Key Takeaways

- Background tasks drive real-time widget data (media servers, system stats, etc.)
- Interval is a cron expression — change takes effect at the next matching time, not instantly
- Tasks can be disabled for maintenance without losing the ability to run them manually
- Only admins can access the Tasks page
- Manual run + disabled state are independent — a disabled task can still be triggered on demand

## Related

- [[wiki/homelab/homarr-integrations|Homarr Integrations]] — connections that tasks poll for data
- [[wiki/homelab/homarr-settings|Homarr Settings]] — global app config including defaults that affect task behavior
- [[wiki/homelab/homarr-boards|Homarr Boards]] — widgets that consume task output for live updates

## Sources

- `raw/Homarr documentation.md` — https://homarr.dev/docs/management/tasks/
