diff --git a/.changeset/ninety-trainers-attack.md b/.changeset/ninety-trainers-attack.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bf6ebb2e83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/ninety-trainers-attack.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+"create-cloudflare": patch
+---
+
+fix: provide a simple fetch handler to the scheduled template to avoid confusing error messages.
+
+Fixes #4560
diff --git a/packages/create-cloudflare/templates/scheduled/js/package.json b/packages/create-cloudflare/templates/scheduled/js/package.json
index 717bd9e05a..e7f74854e7 100644
--- a/packages/create-cloudflare/templates/scheduled/js/package.json
+++ b/packages/create-cloudflare/templates/scheduled/js/package.json
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@
 	"private": true,
 	"scripts": {
 		"deploy": "wrangler deploy",
-		"dev": "wrangler dev",
-		"start": "wrangler dev"
+		"dev": "wrangler dev --test-scheduled",
+		"start": "wrangler dev --test-scheduled"
 	},
 	"devDependencies": {
 		"wrangler": "^3.0.0"
diff --git a/packages/create-cloudflare/templates/scheduled/js/src/index.js b/packages/create-cloudflare/templates/scheduled/js/src/index.js
index 8fd7b202e0..44d267c5e9 100644
--- a/packages/create-cloudflare/templates/scheduled/js/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/create-cloudflare/templates/scheduled/js/src/index.js
@@ -6,13 +6,20 @@
  * https://developers.cloudflare.com/workers/platform/triggers/cron-triggers/
  *
  * - Run `npm run dev` in your terminal to start a development server
- * - Open a browser tab at http://localhost:8787/ to see your worker in action
+ * - Run `curl "http://localhost:8787/__scheduled?cron=*+*+*+*+*"` to see your worker in action
  * - Run `npm run deploy` to publish your worker
  *
  * Learn more at https://developers.cloudflare.com/workers/
  */
 
 export default {
+	async fetch(req) {
+		const url = new URL(req.url)
+		url.pathname = "/__scheduled";
+		url.searchParams.append("cron", "* * * * *");
+		return new Response(`To test the scheduled handler, ensure you have used the "--test-scheduled" then try running "curl ${url.href}".`);
+	},
+
 	// The scheduled handler is invoked at the interval set in our wrangler.toml's
 	// [[triggers]] configuration.
 	async scheduled(event, env, ctx) {
diff --git a/packages/create-cloudflare/templates/scheduled/ts/package.json b/packages/create-cloudflare/templates/scheduled/ts/package.json
index 32f380e7ba..e384f667e8 100644
--- a/packages/create-cloudflare/templates/scheduled/ts/package.json
+++ b/packages/create-cloudflare/templates/scheduled/ts/package.json
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@
 	"private": true,
 	"scripts": {
 		"deploy": "wrangler deploy",
-		"dev": "wrangler dev",
-		"start": "wrangler dev",
+		"dev": "wrangler dev --test-scheduled",
+		"start": "wrangler dev --test-scheduled",
 		"cf-typegen": "wrangler types"
 	},
 	"devDependencies": {
diff --git a/packages/create-cloudflare/templates/scheduled/ts/src/index.ts b/packages/create-cloudflare/templates/scheduled/ts/src/index.ts
index b7a8c46792..fc6bd87dd5 100644
--- a/packages/create-cloudflare/templates/scheduled/ts/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/create-cloudflare/templates/scheduled/ts/src/index.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
  * https://developers.cloudflare.com/workers/platform/triggers/cron-triggers/
  *
  * - Run `npm run dev` in your terminal to start a development server
- * - Open a browser tab at http://localhost:8787/ to see your worker in action
+ * - Run `curl "http://localhost:8787/__scheduled?cron=*+*+*+*+*"` to see your worker in action
  * - Run `npm run deploy` to publish your worker
  *
  * Bind resources to your worker in `wrangler.toml`. After adding bindings, a type definition for the