Cron Expression Generator
Build and decode cron schedules with plain English. No signup, no ads.
Cron Syntax Reference
Fields
| Field | Values |
|---|---|
| Minute | 0-59 |
| Hour | 0-23 |
| Day of Month | 1-31 |
| Month | 1-12 |
| Day of Week | 0-7 (0 & 7 = Sun) |
Special Characters
| Char | Meaning |
|---|---|
* | Every value |
, | List (1,3,5) |
- | Range (1-5) |
/ | Step (*/15) |
L | Last day |
# | Nth weekday (1#2) |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a cron expression?
A cron expression is a string format used to schedule recurring tasks in Unix-like systems. It consists of 5 fields: minute (0-59), hour (0-23), day of month (1-31), month (1-12), and day of week (0-7).
How do I run a cron job every 5 minutes?
Use the expression */5 * * * * to run every 5 minutes. The */5 in the minute field means "every 5 minutes" starting from 0.
What does * mean in cron?
The asterisk (*) in cron means "every" or "all values". For example, * in the hour field means "every hour", and * in the day field means "every day".
How do I schedule a cron job for weekdays only?
Use 1-5 or MON-FRI in the day of week field. For example, 0 9 * * 1-5 runs at 9:00 AM Monday through Friday.
What is the difference between / and - in cron?
The slash (/) specifies step values like "every N units". The hyphen (-) specifies ranges. For example, */15 means "every 15 minutes" while 9-17 means "hours 9 through 17".
How do I run something on the last day of every month?
Some cron implementations support L for "last". Use 0 0 L * * for midnight on the last day of every month. Note: Standard cron doesn't support L, but many modern schedulers (like Kubernetes CronJobs) do.