When a property import fails it’s rarely due to the code that processes the import, but rather an external factor.
In most cases the cause falls into one of a small number of technical categories. Understanding these makes diagnosing issues much simpler and helps prevent repeat failures.
Below are the four most common reasons property imports fail when using the Houzez Property Feed plugin.
WordPress Cron Isn’t Running Reliably
Automated imports rely on WordPress’s built-in scheduling system, often referred to as WP-Cron.
WP-Cron runs scheduled tasks when:
- Someone visits the website, or
- A server-level cron job triggers WordPress manually.
If this mechanism doesn’t fire consistently, imports won’t run on schedule.
Common causes include:
- Very low website traffic
- Cron disabled in wp-config.php
- Hosting providers restricting background execution
In these cases, the import process itself hasn’t failed. It simply hasn’t been triggered.
Ensuring WordPress cron runs reliably (either through traffic or a proper server-level cron job) resolves many “missed import” issues.
How to Resolve Cron Reliability Issues
There are several ways to improve reliability.
Use a Real Server-Level Cron Job
The most reliable solution is to disable WP-Cron’s traffic-based triggering and replace it with a true server cron job.
This typically involves:
1: Disabling WP-Cron in wp-config.php:
define('DISABLE_WP_CRON', true);
2: Creating a server cron job that calls:
https://yourdomain.com/wp-cron.php
… at a defined interval (for example every 5 or 10 minutes).
Most hosting providers allow this via their control panel. This ensures scheduled tasks run predictably, regardless of website traffic.
Check for Disabled Cron
Sometimes cron is unintentionally disabled during development or migration and never re-enabled.
Check your wp-config.php for:
define('DISABLE_WP_CRON', true);
If present without a server cron replacement, scheduled tasks will not run.
Monitor Scheduled Events
You can confirm whether events are being scheduled and triggered by using a cron inspection tool such as the WP-Crontrol plugin.
Confirm Hosting Restrictions
Some hosts restrict:
- Loopback requests
- Background HTTP calls
- Long-running PHP processes
If cron appears to trigger but tasks stop unexpectedly, hosting limits may be interfering. Your host can confirm whether loopback requests to wp-cron.php are allowed.
Memory Limits and Execution Timeouts
Property imports can be resource-intensive, especially when:
- The feed contains hundreds or thousands of listings
- Large images are downloaded and processed
- The server has limited available memory
If the server hits a PHP memory limit, a maximum execution time limit or a hosting-level resource cap then the import may terminate before completing.
When this happens, you may see:
- Incomplete updates
- Logs that stop mid-process
- Partial image imports
These issues are environmental and the import was simply not allowed to finish within the available resources.
Increasing memory limits, adjusting execution time, or optimising image handling typically resolves this type of failure. Your hosting company can advise on this and, depending on the hosting package you’re on, increase these accordingly.
Note: Should an import fall over due to lack of resources or hosting limits, the next time an import runs we’ll automatically pick up from where it got to last.
The Feed Source Is Unavailable
Imports depend entirely on the availability and integrity of the source feed.
Failures occur when:
- A third-party URL times out
- An API endpoint returns an error
- A feed file hasn’t finished uploading
- Authentication credentials expire
A properly structured import process retrieves and validates the feed before making changes. If the source cannot be fully accessed, the safest action is to stop rather than risk inconsistent updates.
Issues like this will normally show in the import logs and will detail the issue found when trying to request the property data.
Image Processing Bottlenecks
Images are frequently the most demanding part of a property import.
During an import, images may need to be:
- Downloaded
- Saved to the media library
- Converted into multiple sizes
- Associated with the correct listing
If images are numerous, very large in file size, or you’re using an image optimisation WordPress plugin then processing these can slow imports significantly or hit execution limits.
In some cases, the property record itself may have been created or updated successfully, but the image stage fails making it appear as though the entire import has failed.
Image optimisation and sensible feed configuration often prevent these bottlenecks.
In Summary
As mentioned at the start of this post, most property imports fail because of third party factors, as opposed to the plugin itself. If you’re having issues the best steps towards debugging this are:
- Ensure WP Cron is firing
- Ensure the server has enough resources and limits are set accordingly
- Check the import logs
If issues then persist, we’re always on hand to help. Simply raise a ticket through your account area and we’ll be happy to investigate any issues further.