Getting ERROR: You need to send a valid key to execute this file when running Cron

Question

When I run my cron job, wget -O - -q -t 1 domain.org/wp-content/plugins/civicrm/civicrm/bin/cron.php?name=XXX&pass=XXX&key=XXXXX

When I use this link in my browser it works just fine no issue, so the key is valid. I get the same error when running GET domain.org/wp-content/plugins/civicrm/civicrm/bin/cron.php?name=XXX&pass=XXX&key=XXXXX

I can't seem to use single quotes or it stops running altogether. A FQDN and I get a JSON error in the cron setup.

Answer 1

Without quotes around the URL, your shell may interpret the '&' character as a request to run a command in the background:

$ wget -O - -q -t 1 none.such/wp-content/plugins/civicrm/civicrm/bin/cron.php?name=XXX&pass=XXX&key=XXXXX
[1] 9887
[2] 9888
$ jobs
[1]-  Exit 4                  wget -O - -q -t 1 none.such/wp-content/plugins/civicrm/civicrm/bin/cron.php?name=XXX
[2]+  Done                    pass=XXX
$

Here it uses the URL up to but not including the first '&', thus missing the pass and key parameters. Enclosing the URL in quotes should resolve this:

$ wget -O - -q -t 1 'none.such/wp-content/plugins/civicrm/civicrm/bin/cron.php?name=XXX&pass=XXX&key=XXXXX'
$

You say this didn't work for you, could you provide details of what command you tried and what the result was?

Answer 2

This was a permissions issue with my webhost like davejenx suggested. Quick fix via support chat.