What do the five cron fields mean?

In order: minute (0–59), hour (0–23), day of month (1–31), month (1–12), and day of week (0–6, where 0 and 7 are both Sunday). A star means "every".

How do I run a job every 5 minutes?

Use */5 * * * *. The */n syntax means "every n units", so */5 in the minute field fires at 0, 5, 10, and so on.

How do I schedule weekdays only?

Put 1-5 in the day-of-week field, for example 0 9 * * 1-5 to run at 9am Monday through Friday.

What happens if I set both day-of-month and day-of-week?

Standard cron treats them as OR when both are restricted: the job runs when either condition matches. This tool follows that behaviour when computing the next runs.

Which timezone are the next runs shown in?

Your browser's local timezone. Cron itself has no timezone; it runs against the clock of whatever machine schedules it.

Cron Expression Generator

Write a cron schedule, read it in plain English, and see the next runs.

Cron expression

minute
0–59 hour
0–23 day / month
1–31 month
1–12 day / week
0–6

The URL below carries your cron expression.

Expression is too long to include in the URL.

Share URL

How to use the Cron Expression Generator

Type a 5-field cron expression, or pick a preset to start.
Read the plain-English description to confirm it does what you meant.
Check the next five run times, then copy the share link.

Frequently asked questions

What do the five cron fields mean?: In order: minute (0–59), hour (0–23), day of month (1–31), month (1–12), and day of week (0–6, where 0 and 7 are both Sunday). A star means "every".
How do I run a job every 5 minutes?: Use */5 * * * *. The */n syntax means "every n units", so */5 in the minute field fires at 0, 5, 10, and so on.
How do I schedule weekdays only?: Put 1-5 in the day-of-week field, for example 0 9 * * 1-5 to run at 9am Monday through Friday.
What happens if I set both day-of-month and day-of-week?: Standard cron treats them as OR when both are restricted: the job runs when either condition matches. This tool follows that behaviour when computing the next runs.
Which timezone are the next runs shown in?: Your browser's local timezone. Cron itself has no timezone; it runs against the clock of whatever machine schedules it.