Cron Expression Generator
Build and check a cron expression without guessing. Edit the five fields or pick a preset, read the schedule in plain English and see the next run times.
- Plain English summary
- Next 8 run times
- Common presets
- No sign-up
How to use
- Pick a preset or type a cron expression such as */15 9-17 * * 1-5.
- Or edit one field at a time: minute, hour, day of month, month and day of week.
- Read the plain English summary under the fields.
- Check the next run times, then copy the expression into your crontab or scheduler.
The five cron fields
A standard cron expression has five fields: minute (0-59), hour (0-23), day of month (1-31), month (1-12 or JAN-DEC) and day of week (0-6, Sunday is 0, or SUN-SAT). Special characters: * every value, , a list, - a range and / a step, so */10 means every 10th value.
Day of month and day of week
If both fields are restricted, standard cron runs the job when either one matches. The preview follows that rule. The run times are shown in your local time zone, while a server usually runs cron in its own zone (often UTC), so check the server's setting. See the time zone converter to translate times.
Frequently asked questions
What does */5 * * * * mean?
It runs every 5 minutes, all day, every day.
How do I run a job every day at 9 AM?
Use 0 9 * * *: minute 0 of hour 9, every day.
Does it support seconds or special strings like @daily?
This tool uses the standard 5-field format. Quartz and Spring cron with seconds, and macros such as @daily, are not covered.
Which time zone are the previews in?
Your browser’s local time zone. A server may run cron in UTC or its own zone.