Cron Expression Generator & Explainer
Type a cron expression to see what it means in plain English and exactly when it will run next, or build one from simple choices. Works with crontab, Kubernetes, GitHub Actions, Spring and Quartz.
Free · No sign-upHow to use Cron Expression Generator
- 1. Type or paste a cron expression such as
*/15 9-17 * * 1-5, or pick an example. - 2. Check the plain-English description and the field-by-field table.
- 3. See the next run times in your time zone or in UTC, like most servers use.
- 4. Use Build an expression to create a new schedule, then copy it or share a link.
Frequently asked questions
What does */15 9-17 * * 1-5 mean?
Every 15 minutes (at :00, :15, :30 and :45) between 9:00 AM and 5:59 PM, Monday through Friday. The last run each day is at 5:45 PM because the hour field 9-17 includes the whole 5 PM hour.
What are the five cron fields?
Minute (0–59), hour (0–23), day of month (1–31), month (1–12 or JAN–DEC) and day of week (0–7 or SUN–SAT, where 0 and 7 are both Sunday). * means every value, commas make lists, - makes ranges and / sets a step.
What happens if I set both day of month and day of week?
In standard cron the job runs when either field matches. 0 0 1 * 1 runs on the 1st of every month and on every Monday. Spring requires both to match, and Quartz makes you put ? in one of them.
Which time zone does cron use?
Crontab uses the server’s time zone, which is often UTC. GitHub Actions schedules always run in UTC, and Kubernetes CronJobs use the controller’s zone unless you set timeZone. Switch the next-run list to UTC to check.
How do I run a job every 5 minutes?
Use */5 * * * *. For every 5 minutes during business hours on weekdays use */5 9-17 * * 1-5, and for every 5 seconds in Spring or node-cron use */5 * * * * *.
What are L, W and # in cron?
They are Quartz and Spring extensions: L is the last day of the month, 15W the weekday nearest the 15th, 5L or FRIL the last Friday, and MON#2 the second Monday. Standard crontab doesn’t support them.