Cron Expression Generator
Build and understand cron expressions with a visual editor. Free, instant.
0 9 * * 1-5At 9:00 AM, on weekdays
Common Presets
Next 5 runs
Mon, Apr 6, 09:00 AM
Tue, Apr 7, 09:00 AM
Wed, Apr 8, 09:00 AM
Thu, Apr 9, 09:00 AM
Fri, Apr 10, 09:00 AM
Cron expression syntax
| Field | Values | Special Characters |
|---|---|---|
| Minute | 0-59 | * , - / |
| Hour | 0-23 | * , - / |
| Day of month | 1-31 | * , - / |
| Month | 1-12 | * , - / |
| Day of week | 0-6 (Sun=0) | * , - / |
Special characters explained
*— matches any value (every minute, every hour, etc.),— list separator (1,3,5 = Monday, Wednesday, Friday)-— range (1-5 = Monday through Friday)/— step (*/5 = every 5th interval)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a cron job?
A cron job is a scheduled task that runs automatically at specified intervals on Unix/Linux systems. The timing is controlled by a cron expression — a five-field string that defines when the task should execute.
What does */5 mean in a cron expression?
The / character means "every Nth interval." So */5 in the minute field means "every 5 minutes" (at 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, ...). In the hour field, */2 means "every 2 hours."
What is the difference between 5-field and 6-field cron?
Standard cron uses 5 fields (minute, hour, day, month, weekday). Some systems like Quartz add a 6th field for seconds at the beginning. This tool generates standard 5-field expressions compatible with crontab, GitHub Actions, and most cloud schedulers.