Cron Expression Generator
Build a cron schedule visually, or paste any cron expression and get a plain-English explanation plus the next run times.
Build cron expressions with a preset picker or type them free-form, and get a plain-English explanation plus the next five run times in your local timezone. Supports the standard 5-field format with */step, ranges, lists and weekday names.
How to use the Cron Expression Generator
- Pick a preset or type a 5-field cron expression.
- Read the human explanation of the schedule.
- Check the next five run times to confirm the schedule is right.
Frequently asked questions
What does 0 9 * * 1-5 mean?
At 09:00, Monday through Friday — the classic weekday job schedule. Enter it above to see the next run times.
What does */5 in the minute field mean?
Every 5 minutes. The */step syntax works in any field: */15 in hours means every 15 hours.
How many fields does cron have?
Five: 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).
Why does the weekday field allow 7?
Both 0 and 7 mean Sunday, matching different cron implementations (vixie-cron vs Quartz). This tool accepts both.
Fun facts about Cron Expressions
- The name cron is usually traced to Chronos, the Greek word for time.
- Cron shipped with Version 7 Unix in 1979. The "Vixie cron" that most Linux systems still use was written by Paul Vixie in 1987.
- Standard cron has five fields (minute, hour, day of month, month, day of week), so the shortest interval it can express is one minute.
- If you restrict both day of month and day of week, most crons run the job when EITHER matches, not both. So 0 9 13 * 5 fires on every 13th and on every Friday.
- The same five-field syntax schedules Kubernetes CronJobs and GitHub Actions workflows; GitHub Actions evaluates schedules in UTC.