Problem #

While working with the system cron, you see the following error:

Unable to communicate with the WHMCS installation

You may also see this error while working with email piping or email importing issues.

Cause #

This error occurs when the cron.php, pop.php, or pipe.php files cannot communicate with the WHMCS installation.

Often, this occurs because you have customized the location of the crons directory. The cron.php file looks for the WHMCS directory in the location in the /crons/config.php file.

Solution #

To resolve this error:

1. Using your preferred method (for example, using an FTP client, the command line, or a file manager), open the /crons/config.php file.

2. Ensure that the $whmcspath line is uncommented by removing the preceding // characters. For example, change:

   //$whmcspath = '/path/to/whmcs/';

   to

   $whmcspath = '/path/to/whmcs/';

3. Ensure that the path in the $whmcspath line is the full system path to your WHMCS directory. This is the directory which contains the init.php and clientarea.php files.

Last modified: 2025 October 17