Cron Expressions Guide
Complete guide to cron syntax, scheduling, and automation best practices.
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Cron Expression Builder — Visual Editor, AI Explain
Visual builder · Raw editor · Human text · Next runs · Timeline · AI Explain
Build and validate cron expressions with a visual point-and-click editor or raw input mode. Instantly see human-readable output ("Every weekday at 9:00 AM"), next 20 run times, a 24-hour timeline chart, and conflict warnings. Copy as crontab, node-cron, GitHub Actions YAML, Kubernetes CronJob, or Python APScheduler. 22 preset schedules included. AI explains any expression in plain English.
0 9 * * 1-5Every weekday (Mon–Fri) at 9:00 AM
Minute0
Hour9
Day*
Runs for every day
Month*
Runs for every month
Weekday1-5
1–5
📅 Next 5 Runs
1Thu, 4 Jun, 2026, 02:30 pmin 21h
2Fri, 5 Jun, 2026, 02:30 pmin 2d
3Mon, 8 Jun, 2026, 02:30 pmin 5d
4Tue, 9 Jun, 2026, 02:30 pmin 6d
5Wed, 10 Jun, 2026, 02:30 pmin 7d
⏱ 24h TimelineHours when cron fires
12a
1a
2a
3a
4a
5a
6a
7a
8a
9a
10a
11a
12p
1p
2p
3p
4p
5p
6p
7p
8p
9p
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11p
📋 Copy as Code
💻 crontab
0 9 * * 1-5 /path/to/command
🟢 node-cron
const cron = require('node-cron');
cron.schedule('0 9 * * 1-5', () => {
// your task
}, { timezone: 'Asia/Kolkata' });⚙️ GitHub Actions
on:
schedule:
- cron: '0 9 * * 1-5'☸️ K8s CronJob
apiVersion: batch/v1
kind: CronJob
metadata:
name: my-cronjob
spec:
schedule: "0 9 * * 1-5"
jobTemplate:
spec:
template:
spec:
containers:
- name: job
image: busybox
restartPolicy: OnFailure🐍 Python (APSched)
from apscheduler.schedulers.blocking import BlockingScheduler
scheduler = BlockingScheduler(timezone='Asia/Kolkata')
@scheduler.scheduled_job('cron', minute='0', hour='9', day_of_week='1-5')
def my_job():
pass # your task
scheduler.start()⚡ Preset Library (22)▲
Every Minute
* * * * *Runs every minuteEvery Hour
0 * * * *Runs at the start of every hourEvery Day (midnight)
0 0 * * *Runs at midnight every dayEvery Week (Monday)
0 0 * * 1Runs every Monday at midnightEvery Month (1st)
0 0 1 * *Runs at midnight on the 1st of every monthEvery Year (Jan 1)
0 0 1 1 *Runs at midnight on January 1stFrequently Asked Questions
What is a cron expression?
A cron expression is 5 space-separated fields (minute hour day month weekday) that define a recurring schedule. Widely used in Linux crontab, GitHub Actions, Kubernetes, Node.js and Python schedulers.
What does */5 mean in cron?
*/n means "every n units". */5 in the minute field = every 5 minutes. */2 in the hour field = every 2 hours. The * means "starting from 0" and the /5 means "every 5 steps".
How do I run a job on weekdays only?
Set the weekday field to 1-5 (Monday through Friday). Example: 0 9 * * 1-5 runs every weekday at 9:00 AM.
What is the difference between day-of-month and day-of-week?
Field 3 is day-of-month (1–31), field 5 is day-of-week (0=Sunday–6=Saturday). If both are non-*, cron uses OR logic — the job runs if either condition matches.
Does this tool support GitHub Actions cron syntax?
Yes — click "⚙️ GitHub Actions" in the Copy as Code section to get the exact YAML schedule block for your workflow file.