If you're experiencing issues where reminder emails are not being sent at the expected time before an appointment, follow the steps below to troubleshoot and resolve the issue.
Step 1: Verify WordPress Time Settings
If the cron jobs are correctly configured but reminder emails are still not sent at the expected time (for example, a certain number of hours before the appointment), the issue is likely related to your WordPress time settings.
To fix this, follow these steps:
Go to your WordPress Dashboard.
Navigate to Settings > General.
In the Timezone section, select the appropriate timezone for your location.
Save the changes.
This ensures that WordPress sends the emails according to the correct local time.
Step 2: Check Your Cron Jobs
Ensure that the cron jobs are properly configured. You can read an article on how to set up cron jobs here. WordPress relies on cron jobs to schedule and send tasks, including reminder emails. If cron jobs are not set up or functioning correctly, the reminder emails won't be triggered at the right time.
You can check your cron jobs by installing a plugin like WP Crontrolto manage and review the scheduled tasks in your WordPress environment.
Step 3: Test the Reminder Email Functionality
After adjusting the timezone settings, it's important to test the reminder email functionality by creating a new appointment.
Schedule a new test appointment.
Set the reminder email to trigger a specific number of hours before the appointment.
Wait and monitor if the reminder email is sent at the correct time.
By following these steps, your reminder emails should now be sent at the expected time based on your settings. If you continue to face issues, verify if there are any conflicts with other plugins or reach out to your hosting provider to ensure cron jobs are running correctly on the server.