Cron Launches

Automatic Launch Update Configuration

This document explains how to configure the scheduled task to automatically update the launch statuses of channels at 8:00 AM UTC every day.

How it Works

The launch system works as follows:

• Channels are initially in SCHEDULED status with a programmed launch date.
• At 8:00 AM UTC on the launch day, the status changes to ONGOING.
• At 8:00 AM UTC the next day, the status changes to LAUNCHED.

Configuration on Coolify

1. Add Environment Variables

Add the following environment variables to your application on Coolify:

CRON_API_KEY=your_secret_key_here
APP_URL=https://your-domain.com

• CRON_API_KEY: A secret key to secure the API (generate a complex random string).
• APP_URL: The base URL of your application.

2. Configure the Scheduled Task

In Coolify, create a new scheduled task with the following parameters:

• Name: update-launches
• Command: /app/scripts/update-launches.sh
• Frequency: 0 8 * * * (every day at 8:00 AM UTC)
• Container Name: The name of your application container.

3. Make the Script Executable

Ensure the script is executable by running this command in the container:

chmod +x /app/scripts/update-launches.sh

Manual Test

To manually test the launch update, you can run:

curl -X GET \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer your_secret_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  "https://your-domain.com/api/cron/update-launches"

Free/Nofollow Upgrade Campaign Cron (new)

Use this endpoint for the campaign that emails only free + nofollow projects scheduled to launch in about 12 hours (quick conversion action before launch):

curl -X GET \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer your_secret_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  "https://your-domain.com/api/cron/send-free-premium-upgrade-offer"

Suggested schedule:

• Run hourly: 0 * * * * (recommended, catches all launch times with current 12-13 hour window).
• Or run once daily at 20:00 UTC: 0 20 * * * (works well if most launches are 08:00 UTC).

Do not schedule send-ongoing-reminders (deprecated)

The endpoint /api/cron/send-ongoing-reminders used to send the same "🚀 {project} is Live on Aura++!" email as update-launches. If both run on launch day (e.g. 8:00 and 8:15 UTC), founders receive duplicate emails. Only update-launches should send the launch-day live email when status changes SCHEDULED → ONGOING. Remove any Coolify/cron job that calls send-ongoing-reminders.

Pinterest posting cron (new)

Pinterest pins are posted by a dedicated endpoint so launch story featured images are available first.

Suggested daily schedule (UTC):

• 8:00 — /api/cron/update-launches (0 8 * * *)
• 9:00 — /api/cron/generate-blogs (0 9 * * *)
• 9:30 — /api/cron/post-pinterest (30 9 * * *)

Manual test:

curl -X GET \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer your_secret_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  "https://your-domain.com/api/cron/post-pinterest"

This cron posts up to 2 Make webhook payloads per newly launched project:

1. Project image (coverImageUrl || productImage || logoUrl)
2. Launch story featured image (ai_blog_post.featured_image) when available

Projects are marked with project.pinterest_posted = true after a successful run so they are not posted again.

Logging

Scheduled task logs are available in Coolify under the "Logs" tab of the scheduled task.

Troubleshooting

If the scheduled task fails, check the following:

1. CRON_API_KEY and APP_URL environment variables are correctly defined.
2. The /app/scripts/update-launches.sh script is executable.
3. The /api/cron/update-launches API is accessible.
4. Application logs to see potential errors.