Cron Expression Explainer & Generator
Reads a cron line in plain words and lists the next run times.
Times are worked out for standard 5-field cron; real runs depend on the server's time zone and scheduler.
| Field | Input | Runs on |
|---|
With both day of month and day of week set, it runs when either matches.
Cron runs in the server's time zone; pick that zone to check.
Nothing is saved or sent.
How to use
- Paste a cron expression or press a preset.
- A plain-language reading and a field-by-field table appear below.
- Check the next 10 run times, switching the time zone if your server uses another one.
- Edit the field boxes to build an expression and press Copy.
Examples
0 9 * * 1-5
"0 9 * * 1-5" → Runs on weekdays (Mon–Fri) at 09:00. From Fri 2026-10-23 21:13 KST, next runs: Mon 10-26 09:00, Tue 10-27 09:00, Wed 10-28 09:00 …
FAQ
What are the five fields?
In order: minute (0–59), hour (0–23), day of month (1–31), month (1–12) and day of week (0–7, where 0 and 7 are Sunday). `*` means every value, `,` a list, `-` a range and `/` a step.
How do I run something every minute or every 5 minutes?
Every minute is `* * * * *`; every 5 minutes is `*/5 * * * *`, which runs at 0, 5, 10 … 55 past each hour.
What if I set both day of month and day of week?
In standard cron it runs when either matches: `0 0 1 * 1` runs on the 1st and on every Monday. If one of them starts with `*` (like `*/2`), both must match.
Does it support seconds (6 fields) or ?, L and #?
Those formats are specific to some schedulers, so they aren't read. For 6 or 7 fields you'll see a note and an option to drop the seconds or year field.
Which time zone are the run times in?
Your device's zone by default; you can change it. Cron on a server runs in the server's zone. Times skipped by daylight saving are left out and repeated ones shown once, though real schedulers may handle them differently.
Is my expression sent anywhere?
No. Everything is worked out in this browser and nothing is saved.