What is a cron expression?

A cron expression is a string of 5 fields separated by spaces that represents a schedule. The fields are: minute, hour, day of month, month, and day of week. Special characters like * (every), / (interval), and , (specific values) define the pattern.

What does * mean in cron?

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

How do I schedule something every 5 minutes?

Use the expression */5 * * * *. The */5 in the minute field means "every 5th minute".

What is the difference between */2 and 0,2,4...?

*/2 is shorthand for running at every 2nd value. It is equivalent to listing all even values explicitly (0,2,4,6,...). Both produce the same schedule.

Can I use day names instead of numbers?

Standard cron uses numbers (0=Sunday through 6=Saturday). Some implementations support 3-letter abbreviations (SUN, MON, etc), but this generator uses the numeric standard for maximum compatibility.

How are time zones handled?

Cron expressions themselves don't include timezone information — the timezone is determined by the server or system running the cron job. The "Next Executions" preview shown here uses your browser's local timezone.

Cron Schedule Generator

Build, validate, and understand cron expressions with a visual builder, plain-English translation, and next execution forecast.

Expression

Minute

Hour

Day (Month)

Month

Day (Week)

Visual Builder

Human-Readable

Every minute

* * * * *

Next 5 Executions

1Thu, Aug 6, 2026 at 09:33 PM

in 0m

2Thu, Aug 6, 2026 at 09:34 PM

in 1m

3Thu, Aug 6, 2026 at 09:35 PM

in 2m

4Thu, Aug 6, 2026 at 09:36 PM

in 3m

5Thu, Aug 6, 2026 at 09:37 PM

in 4m

Quick Templates

Documentation

Cron Syntax Reference

A cron expression consists of 5 fields separated by spaces: minute hour day-of-month month day-of-week.

Special Characters

* Every value
, Value list (1,3,5)
- Range (1-5)
/ Step (*/15 = every 15)

Field Ranges

Minute	0 – 59
Hour	0 – 23
Day (Month)	1 – 31
Month	1 – 12
Day (Week)	0 – 6

Last Updated: February 2026

Note: This tool generates standard 5-field cron expressions compatible with most Unix-like systems and CI/CD platforms.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Use

About the Cron Schedule Generator

What it calculates

This cron schedule generator handles date arithmetic, time zones, calendars, and scheduling utilities. Build, validate, and understand cron expressions with a visual builder and execution forecast.

When to use it

Use for planning events, deadlines, workdays, and time-zone aware calculations.

Example

Adjust the inputs above to model your specific scenario with the Cron Schedule Generator.

Explore More

Cron Schedule Generator

Expression

Visual Builder

Every minute

Next 5 Executions

Quick Templates

Cron Syntax Reference

Special Characters

Field Ranges

About the Cron Schedule Generator

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