What is a cron expression?

A cron expression is a string of 5-6 fields that represent a schedule for running automated tasks. The fields define minute, hour, day of month, month, day of week, and optionally year or seconds.

Cron Expression Parser

Parse, understand, and generate cron expressions with human-readable explanations

Enter Cron Expression

Minute
(0-59)

Hour
(0-23)

Day
(1-31)

Month
(1-12)

Weekday
(0-6)

Common Presets

Human-Readable Description

Every minute

Next 5 Execution Times

Cron Syntax Reference

Field	Values	Special Characters
Minute	0-59	`*` `,` `-` `/`
Hour	0-23	`*` `,` `-` `/`
Day of Month	1-31	`*` `,` `-` `/`
Month	1-12	`*` `,` `-` `/`
Day of Week	0-6 (Sun=0)	`*` `,` `-` `/`

* = Any value , = List (1,3,5) - = Range (1-5) / = Step (*/5 = every 5)

Frequently Asked Questions

A cron expression is a string consisting of 5 fields that define when a scheduled task should run. It's commonly used in Unix/Linux systems to automate repetitive tasks like backups, cleanups, or sending emails.

The */5 syntax means "every 5 units". For example, */5 in the minute field means "every 5 minutes" (0, 5, 10, 15, etc.), and */2 in the hour field means "every 2 hours".

* means "every" (all values), while 0 means exactly that value. For example, "0 * * * *" runs at minute 0 of every hour, while "* * * * *" runs every minute.