DevOps

Cron Expression Generator

Build and interpret cron expressions for recurring scheduled tasks.

Features

Configure recurring schedule fields
Generate a cron expression
Read a plain-language schedule summary

How to use it

Choose the desired minute, hour, day, month, and weekday values.
Review the resulting expression and schedule description.
Copy the expression into your scheduler.

Example and use cases

Create a cron schedule for a task that runs every day at midnight.

Useful for configuring scheduled jobs in servers, CI systems, and task schedulers.

DevOps Tools/Cron Expression Generator

Cron Expression Generator

Create and understand cron expressions for Linux, Unix servers, Node.js applications, CI/CD automation, scheduled jobs, backups, scripts, and recurring tasks. Choose a common schedule or build your own five-field cron expression.

Cron Settings

Generator Mode

Common Schedule

Cron Fields

MinuteHourDay of MonthMonthDay of Week

Generated Cron Expression

*/5 * * * *

Human-readable explanation

Runs every 5 minutes.

Minute

*/5

Hour

*

Day

*

Month

*

Weekday

*

Linux Cron

* * * * * cd /path/to/project && your-command

Node.js

cron.schedule("*/5 * * * *", () => {
  // Your task
});

GitHub Actions

on:
  schedule:
    - cron: '*/5 * * * *'

What is a Cron Expression?

A cron expression is a compact scheduling format used to define when a recurring task should run. Cron is commonly used on Linux and Unix systems for backups, scripts, reports, maintenance jobs, monitoring tasks, database operations, and automated deployments.

A standard five-field cron expression contains values for minute, hour, day of month, month, and day of week. Each field can use numbers, wildcards, ranges, lists, and step values.

Cron Expression Format

Field	Allowed Values	Example
Minute	0–59	15
Hour	0–23	9
Day of Month	1–31	1
Month	1–12	6
Day of Week	0–6	1

*/5 * * * *

Every 5 minutes

Common Cron Expressions

Every minute

* * * * *

Runs every minute.

Every 5 minutes

*/5 * * * *

Runs every 5 minutes.

Every 10 minutes

*/10 * * * *

Runs every 10 minutes.

Every 15 minutes

*/15 * * * *

Runs every 15 minutes.

Every 30 minutes

*/30 * * * *

Runs every 30 minutes.

Every hour

0 * * * *

Runs at minute 0 of every hour.

Every 2 hours

0 */2 * * *

Runs every 2 hours.

Every day at midnight

0 0 * * *

Runs every day at 12:00 AM.

Every day at 9:00 AM

0 9 * * *

Runs every day at 9:00 AM.

Every day at 6:00 PM

0 18 * * *

Runs every day at 6:00 PM.

Every Monday

0 9 * * 1

Runs every Monday at 9:00 AM.

First day of every month

0 0 1 * *

Runs on the first day of every month at midnight.

Every year

0 0 1 1 *

Runs every January 1 at midnight.

Cron Symbols

Symbol	Meaning	Example
*	Any value	* * * * *
*/5	Every 5 units	/5 * * *
1,5	Multiple values	1,5 * * * *
1-5	Range of values	1-5 * * * *

Using Cron on Linux

Linux users can manage scheduled cron jobs using the crontab command. Use the following command to edit the current user's cron table:

crontab -e

Add the generated expression followed by the command that should execute. For production systems, make sure the command uses correct absolute paths and has the required permissions.

Cron vs GitHub Actions Schedule

Cron syntax is also used by GitHub Actions for scheduled workflows. GitHub Actions places the cron expression inside a schedule trigger.

on:
  schedule:
    - cron: '0 9 * * 1'

How to Use This Cron Generator

1. Choose a preset for common schedules such as hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly.
2. Use custom mode when you already know the cron expression you need.
3. Review the five fields to understand exactly when the task will run.
4. Read the explanation generated from the expression.
5. Copy or download the result and add it to your cron job or automation configuration.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does * * * * * mean?

It means the task runs every minute of every hour, every day, every month, and every day of the week.

What is the cron expression for every 5 minutes?

The standard five-field expression is */5 * * * *.

What is the cron expression for every day at 9 AM?

The expression is 0 9 * * *.

What is the cron expression for every Monday at 9 AM?

The expression is 0 9 * * 1 when Monday is represented by 1.

Can I use this with Linux crontab?

Yes. The generated five-field expression can be used with standard Linux and Unix cron implementations, together with the command you want to execute.

Can I use cron expressions in GitHub Actions?

Yes. GitHub Actions supports cron expressions for scheduled workflows using the schedule trigger.

Does cron use my local timezone?

The effective timezone depends on the scheduler and its configuration. Always verify the timezone used by the environment where the job actually runs.

What is the difference between */5 and 5?

*/5 means every five units starting from the beginning of the field's range. A value of 5 means only the specific value 5.

Related DevOps Tools

CI/CD Pipeline Generator

Useful developer and DevOps utilities for automation and deployment workflows.

GitHub Actions Generator

Useful developer and DevOps utilities for automation and deployment workflows.

Linux Command Generator

Useful developer and DevOps utilities for automation and deployment workflows.

Docker Command Generator

Useful developer and DevOps utilities for automation and deployment workflows.

Admin Metadata

{
  name: "Cron Expression Generator",
  slug: "cron-expression-generator",
  published: true,

  description:
    "Generate and understand cron expressions for Linux, Unix, Node.js, GitHub Actions and scheduled automation tasks.",

  seoTitle:
    "Cron Expression Generator - Free Online Cron Job Scheduler",

  metaDescription:
    "Generate cron expressions for Linux, Node.js, GitHub Actions and scheduled jobs. Create common schedules, custom cron expressions and human-readable explanations.",

  keywords: [
    "cron expression generator",
    "cron generator",
    "cron job generator",
    "crontab generator",
    "cron schedule generator",
    "cron expression",
    "cron job scheduler",
    "linux cron generator",
    "github actions cron",
    "node cron generator",
    "cron syntax"
  ],

  tags: [
    "cron",
    "devops",
    "linux",
    "automation",
    "scheduler",
    "github actions",
    "nodejs",
    "crontab",
    "jobs",
    "deployment"
  ],

  category: "DevOps",
  icon: "Clock3"
}

Frequently asked questions

Do all schedulers use the same cron syntax?

No. Cron variants can differ in field count and supported syntax, so check the target scheduler's documentation.

Related developer tools

CI/CD Pipeline Generator Linux Command Generator SSH Command Generator