---
title: "How Batching & Cron Work"
description: "Mass Email Notifications relies on a batching system combined with WordPress cron to send messages safely and consistently. Understanding this flow helps explain why emails don’t go out instantly and how throttling is enforced. --- ## Creation - Submitting the…"
url: "https://brightleafdigital.io/docs/how-batching-cron-work/"
updated: "2026-10-18"
category: "Mass Email Notifications for Gravity Forms / Explanations & Concepts"
---

# How Batching & Cron Work

Mass Email Notifications relies on a batching system combined with WordPress cron to send messages safely and consistently. Understanding this flow helps explain why emails don’t go out instantly and how throttling is enforced.

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## Creation

- Submitting the control form runs a feed, which creates a batch.
- The batch contains the list of recipients (from a target form or CSV), along with the message subject and body.
- Each batch is uniquely labeled for tracking.

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## Review Window

- After creation, the batch enters a **5‑minute Pending window**.
- During this time, you can preview the batch, cancel it, or let it proceed.
- This safety buffer prevents accidental “blast sends.”

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## Processing by Cron

- Once the review window ends, the batch moves to **In Progress**.
- WordPress cron jobs handle sending in small chunks according to the limits you set.
- Cron typically runs hourly, but it may be triggered sooner or later depending on site activity or server setup.

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## Resend Behavior

- If you click **Send Now**, the batch begins immediately, but still respects throttling limits.
- No emails are ever sent faster than the per‑minute/hour/day/month rules allow.

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## Why Cron Matters

- WordPress cron is “pseudo-cron” — it only runs when the site is visited or triggered by a server task.
- If your host disables cron, you may need to configure a server-level cron job that pings `wp-cron.php` regularly.

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By combining batching with cron, the plugin ensures campaigns are paced properly, accidental sends can be caught, and provider limits are respected automatically.