How to automatically run a Python script every day ?

There are a few good ways to automatically run a Python script every day depending on your system and setup.

Below are 3 main approaches, from simplest to most robust

Using cron (Linux / macOS)

This is the most reliable and common way.

Open your terminal and type:

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crontab -e

Add a line like this (example: run every day at 6 AM):

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0 6 * * * /usr/bin/python3 /path/to/your/script.py >> /path/to/log.txt 2>&1

Explanation:

• 0 6 * * * → run at 6:00 AM daily
• /usr/bin/python3 → full path to Python
• /path/to/your/script.py → your script
• >> /path/to/log.txt 2>&1 → saves logs

Save and close.

You can check scheduled jobs using:

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crontab -l

‍Using Windows Task Scheduler (if on Windows)

1. Open Task Scheduler.
2. Choose Create Basic Task → Name it → Trigger = Daily.
3. Action = “Start a program”.

Program/script:

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python

Add argument:

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C:\path\to\your\script.py

Start in:

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C:\path\to\

Use Python itself (for a lightweight approach)

If you want to keep it all in Python (e.g., script runs on a server):

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import time
import schedule
import subprocess

def job():
    subprocess.run(["python3", "/path/to/your/download_script.py"])

# Run every day at 06:00
schedule.every().day.at("06:00").do(job)

while True:
    schedule.run_pending()
    time.sleep(60)

Then run this “scheduler” script in the background (for example with nohup or screen):

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nohup python3 scheduler.py &

• If you just need it daily and reliably → use cron (best option).
• If you need fine control or cross-platform automation → use a scheduler script or Airflow / Prefect later.

Real-World Example: Automatically Download Daily Data from a URL

This method can be used to automatically run a Python script each day — for instance, to download daily data from an online source.
For a detailed implementation, refer to the section Real-World Example: Automatically Download Daily Data from a URL.

References