How to Schedule Python Scripts with Cron: A Beginner's Complete Guide

Short summary

Cron is a built-in Unix scheduler for automating Python scripts on macOS and Linux without cloud dependencies. The guide covers cron syntax with practical examples, critical pitfalls (absolute paths, environment variables, PATH resolution, venv setup), logging patterns, and a real two-job publishing pipeline. Key takeaways: use absolute file paths, add a shebang, log to files, use full Python paths, and manage environments with .env or crontab variables.

• •Cron syntax uses five fields (minute, hour, day, month, weekday) with common patterns like 0 10 * * * for daily at 10am
• •Critical pitfalls: use absolute paths (not relative), include a shebang line, redirect logs with >> file 2>&1, set full Python paths or use venv
• •Environment variables are unavailable in cron; use .env files or set them directly in crontab; manage venv by pointing to .venv/bin/python directly

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