Cron Expression Generator
Generate and explain cron expressions
Calculator
Human-Readable Explanation
Runs every minute
Next 5 Executions
Quick Reference
How to Use
Learn how to use the Cron Expression Generator to create and understand cron schedules.
Choose preset or custom
Select a common preset like "Every hour" or build a custom expression using the visual builder.
Configure each field
Use the dropdowns to set minute, hour, day, month, and weekday values. Combine multiple values with commas.
Review the explanation
Read the human-readable explanation to verify the schedule matches your intent.
Check execution times
Review the next 5 scheduled execution times to ensure the timing is correct.
Copy the expression
Click the copy button to copy the cron expression to your clipboard for use in your system.
Cron Expression Format
* * * * * = minute hour day month weekday
A standard cron expression consists of 5 fields separated by spaces. Each field can contain specific values, ranges (1-5), lists (1,3,5), or step values (*/5). The fields are: minute (0-59), hour (0-23), day of month (1-31), month (1-12), and day of week (0-6, Sunday=0).
Frequently Asked Questions
A cron expression is a string of five fields that defines when a scheduled task should run. The fields represent minute (0-59), hour (0-23), day of month (1-31), month (1-12), and day of week (0-6, where 0 is Sunday).
The asterisk (*) means "every" value, the comma (,) separates multiple values, the hyphen (-) defines ranges, and the slash (/) specifies step values. For example, */5 in the minute field means every 5 minutes.
Use the expression "0 * * * *" which runs at minute 0 of every hour. The first field (minute) is set to 0, and all other fields use * to match any value.
Cron is the daemon (background service) that executes scheduled tasks. Crontab (cron table) is the file that stores the list of cron jobs and their schedules. You edit crontab to add or modify scheduled tasks.
Yes, but be careful - the job will run when either condition is met (OR logic). For example, "0 0 15 * 1" runs at midnight on the 15th AND every Monday, not just when the 15th falls on a Monday.
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