Cron Expression Generator & Parser

How to Use the Cron Expression Generator

This tool helps you build and understand cron expressions used in task scheduling. In Build mode, use the fields to create a cron expression visually — select your minute, hour, day, month, and day of week. The expression updates in real-time, and you'll see the next 5 scheduled run times. In Parse mode, paste an existing cron expression and get a human-readable description plus the next 10 execution times.

What is a Cron Expression?

Cron expressions are used in Unix/Linux systems and many other platforms to schedule recurring tasks. A standard cron expression has 5 fields: minute, hour, day of month, month, and day of week. Some systems also support a 6th field for seconds. Each field can be a specific value, a range, a list, or an interval.

Common Cron Examples

• 0 0 * * * — Midnight every day
• 0 9 * * 1-5 — 9 AM every weekday (Monday-Friday)
• */5 * * * * — Every 5 minutes
• 0 0 1 * * — Midnight on the 1st of every month
• 0 12 * * 0 — Noon every Sunday
• 30 2 * * * — 2:30 AM every day

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the * symbol mean?

The asterisk (*) means "any value" for that field. For example, * in the hour field means every hour.

How do I specify multiple values?

Use commas to list specific values (e.g., 9,12,15) or dashes for ranges (e.g., 1-5 for Monday through Friday).

What does */5 mean?

The forward slash (/) denotes an interval. */5 in the minute field means every 5 minutes (0, 5, 10, 15, etc.).

What's the difference between day of month and day of week?

Day of month (1-31) is the numeric date, while day of week (0-6) is the day name (0=Sunday). If both are restricted, the cron runs on either matching date.

Does this tool support 6-field cron (with seconds)?

Yes, the Parse mode accepts both 5-field and 6-field cron expressions. The Build mode uses the standard 5-field format.

Can I use this for my cron job scheduler?

Yes! You can copy the generated or parsed expression directly into your crontab file, task scheduler, or any tool that supports cron syntax (e.g., Linux cron, Windows Task Scheduler, GitHub Actions, AWS Lambda, etc.).

Is my data stored?

No. All processing happens in your browser. Your cron expressions are never sent to any server.