PressHangar Draft Pacer

FAQ

Why aren’t my scheduled posts publishing?

Several reasons could cause missed schedules:

1. WordPress Cron is not running — WordPress relies on site traffic to trigger its scheduler. Low-traffic sites may skip runs. Check the plugin’s status card for a cron health warning, and if present, set up an external cron job (instructions provided in settings).

2. Conflicting plugins — Other scheduling or automation plugins may interfere. Try deactivating conflicting plugins and re-running the scheduler.

3. Server time mismatch — Verify your server’s timezone is correctly configured in WordPress (Settings > General). PressHangar Draft Pacer uses your site’s configured timezone.

4. Post date in the past — If a scheduled post’s date falls before the current time, WordPress may not publish it. The watchdog will catch these within 5 minutes, but ensure your schedule window includes future times.

If issues persist, check your site’s error logs and enable WordPress debugging for more details.

Does it work with AI-generated drafts?

Yes, absolutely. PressHangar Draft Pacer is completely source-agnostic. It works with:

• Drafts from AI content generators (ChatGPT, Anthropic, etc.)
• Bulk imports from RSS feeds or external platforms
• Drafts created via REST API or WordPress Importer
• Manually written drafts

The plugin treats all drafts the same way—it simply applies your pacing and scheduling rules, regardless of origin. If you’re concerned about content quality, pair this plugin with a review workflow to approve drafts before they’re drip-published.

What if my host has no cron settings?

Some hosts don’t offer cron at all. If that’s the case for you, you can register the external cron URL shown in the plugin’s settings page with a free external ping service such as cron-job.org — or simply skip external cron entirely. It’s only an extra safety net: the plugin works with the normal WordPress cron, and the built-in watchdog rescues any missed posts.

Why does the status card show 0 scheduled posts when I have many?

PressHangar Draft Pacer’s “Scheduled” count normally shows only the posts it manages itself — those it either scheduled through its drip logic or that you’ve explicitly adopted. If you scheduled posts another way (an older version of this plugin, a REST API script, another scheduling tool, or by hand in the editor), those posts are still future posts on your site, but PressHangar Draft Pacer doesn’t know about them yet, so it can’t include them in its counts or protect them with its watchdog recovery.

To make this visible, the status card shows two numbers: Scheduled (PressHangar Draft Pacer-managed) and Scheduled (site-wide). If site-wide is higher than PressHangar Draft Pacer-managed, a notice appears with an Adopt Existing Scheduled Posts button. Clicking it tags every outside future post (matching your configured post types) with PressHangar Draft Pacer’s internal metadata, without changing any post’s date or status — it simply brings them under management so they count correctly and are covered by the watchdog’s failure recovery going forward. Large backlogs are processed automatically in batches.

Will this help avoid Google penalties?

PressHangar Draft Pacer provides a reliable pacing layer that distributes content naturally throughout your day. Spacing out publication is often suggested as sensible editorial practice, but we make no guarantees about search rankings or penalties.

What it does:
* Spaces out post publication to mimic natural editorial cadence
* Avoids sudden, machine-like publication spikes

What it doesn’t do:
* Generate content or improve quality
* Provide SEO optimization
* Guarantee penalty immunity

Always follow Google’s content policies, prioritize quality over quantity, and use this plugin as part of a larger, thoughtful content strategy. If you’re already in penalty, consult Google Search Console and a professional SEO advisor.