Cron Expression Generator
Build cron expressions visually with human-readable descriptions. Preset schedules for common tasks. Free and private.
* * * * * Runs: every minute
How to Use
- 1. Click a preset for common schedules, or edit the five fields directly.
- 2. Use
*for "every",*/nfor "every n", specific numbers for exact values. - 3. The human-readable description updates as you type.
- 4. Click Copy to copy the cron expression.
About This Tool
A cron expression is a string of five (or six) space-separated fields that define a schedule for running automated tasks. The fields represent: minute (0–59), hour (0–23), day of month (1–31), month (1–12), and day of week (0–7).
Special characters give cron expressions their power: * matches any value, */n means "every n units", comma-separated values specify a list (e.g., 1,3,5), and ranges with a dash (e.g., 1-5) specify an inclusive range.
Cron jobs are used everywhere in software: running backups, sending scheduled emails, generating reports, clearing caches, fetching external data, and triggering builds or deployments. They are supported natively on Linux/macOS systems, and by cloud services like AWS EventBridge, GitHub Actions, Kubernetes CronJobs, and Heroku Scheduler.
This generator creates valid cron expressions and shows a plain-English description of when the job will run. It also includes common presets for the most frequently used schedules.
You may also find our Unix Timestamp Converter, Time Calculator, and SQL Formatter helpful.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a cron expression?
A cron expression is a string of five fields separated by spaces that defines a schedule: minute (0-59), hour (0-23), day of month (1-31), month (1-12), and day of week (0-7, where 0 and 7 are Sunday).
What does * mean in cron?
An asterisk (*) means "every" — run at every valid value for that field. For example, * in the minute field means the job runs every minute.
What does */5 mean in cron?
The slash (/) means "step" — */5 in the minute field means "every 5 minutes" (0, 5, 10, 15...). You can use it in any field: */2 in hours means every 2 hours.
How do I schedule a job at a specific time?
Set the minute and hour fields to specific values. For example, 30 14 * * * runs at 14:30 (2:30 PM) every day. Setting day of week to 1-5 would limit it to weekdays.
What timezone does cron use?
Standard cron uses the local timezone of the server. Cloud schedulers (AWS EventBridge, GitHub Actions) use UTC by default. Always check which timezone your scheduler uses.
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