// FREE IT TOOLS

Cron Expression Parser

Convert cron expressions to human-readable descriptions and see the next 10 scheduled run times.

// CRON EXPRESSION

Nothing is sent to the server — all processing happens in your browser.

Enter a cron expression above to see its schedule

Understanding Cron Expressions

A cron expression is a time-based scheduling format used in Unix-like operating systems to define when recurring tasks should run. The format consists of five fields separated by spaces:

minute

hour

day of month

month

day of week

(0-59) (0-23) (1-31) (1-12) (0-6)

Each field can contain an exact value, a range, a list, a step, or the asterisk wildcard meaning “every possible value.”

Cron Syntax Reference

Asterisk (*):Matches every possible value in the field's range * * * * * — every minute
Comma (,):Lists individual values 0,15,30,45 * * * * — every 15 minutes
Hyphen (-):Specifies a range of values 0 9-17 * * * — every hour from 9am to 5pm
Slash (/):Specifies step values within a range */10 * * * * — every 10 minutes
Combinations:Ranges and steps can be combined 1-15/2 * * * * — every 2 minutes from minute 1 through 15
Day names:Three-letter abbreviations (SUN–SAT) 0 0 * * MON-FRI — midnight on weekdays
Month names:Three-letter abbreviations (JAN–DEC) 0 0 1 JAN,JUN — midnight on Jan 1st and Jun 1st

Common Cron Schedules

Expression	Description
* * * * *	Every minute
/5 * * *	Every 5 minutes
/15 * * *	Every 15 minutes
0 * * * *	Every hour, on the hour
0 /2 * *	Every 2 hours
0 0 * * *	Every day at midnight
0 9 * * 1-5	Weekdays at 09:00
0 17 * * 1-5	Weekdays at 17:00
0 0 1 * *	First day of every month at midnight
0 0 1 1 *	January 1st at midnight (yearly)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a cron expression?: A cron expression is a time-based job scheduler format used in Unix-like operating systems. It consists of five fields — minute, hour, day of month, month, and day of week — that define when a recurring task should execute. For example, 0 9 * * 1-5 means "at 09:00, Monday through Friday."
What happens when both day-of-month and day-of-week are specified?: When both the day-of-month and day-of-week fields are restricted (not *), the schedule runs on days that match either condition. This is standard cron OR logic. For example, 0 0 1 * 5 means "at midnight on the 1st of the month AND every Friday" — not only on Fridays that fall on the 1st.
What does */5 mean in a cron field?: The slash specifies step values within a range. */5 means "every 5th value" — in the minute field, that's minutes 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, and 55. You can combine it with a range: 1-10/2 means "every 2nd value from 1 through 10" — that's 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9.
Can I use day and month names?: Yes. Use three-letter abbreviations: SUN through SAT for days of the week, and JAN through DEC for months. Names are case-insensitive and can be used in ranges (MON-FRI) and lists (JAN,JUN). For day-of-week, both 0 and 7 represent Sunday.
Is my cron expression data sent to a server?: No. All parsing and calculation happens entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Nothing is transmitted over the network.

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Understanding Cron Expressions

A cron expression is a time-based scheduling format used in Unix-like operating systems to define when recurring tasks should run. The format consists of five fields separated by spaces:

minute

hour

day of month

month

day of week

(0-59) (0-23) (1-31) (1-12) (0-6)

Each field can contain an exact value, a range, a list, a step, or the asterisk wildcard meaning “every possible value.”

Cron Syntax Reference

Asterisk (*):Matches every possible value in the field's range * * * * * — every minute
Comma (,):Lists individual values 0,15,30,45 * * * * — every 15 minutes
Hyphen (-):Specifies a range of values 0 9-17 * * * — every hour from 9am to 5pm
Slash (/):Specifies step values within a range */10 * * * * — every 10 minutes
Combinations:Ranges and steps can be combined 1-15/2 * * * * — every 2 minutes from minute 1 through 15
Day names:Three-letter abbreviations (SUN–SAT) 0 0 * * MON-FRI — midnight on weekdays
Month names:Three-letter abbreviations (JAN–DEC) 0 0 1 JAN,JUN — midnight on Jan 1st and Jun 1st

Common Cron Schedules

Expression	Description
* * * * *	Every minute
/5 * * *	Every 5 minutes
/15 * * *	Every 15 minutes
0 * * * *	Every hour, on the hour
0 /2 * *	Every 2 hours
0 0 * * *	Every day at midnight
0 9 * * 1-5	Weekdays at 09:00
0 17 * * 1-5	Weekdays at 17:00
0 0 1 * *	First day of every month at midnight
0 0 1 1 *	January 1st at midnight (yearly)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a cron expression?

A cron expression is a time-based job scheduler format used in Unix-like operating systems. It consists of five fields — minute, hour, day of month, month, and day of week — that define when a recurring task should execute. For example, 0 9 * * 1-5 means "at 09:00, Monday through Friday."

What happens when both day-of-month and day-of-week are specified?

When both the day-of-month and day-of-week fields are restricted (not *), the schedule runs on days that match either condition. This is standard cron OR logic. For example, 0 0 1 * 5 means "at midnight on the 1st of the month AND every Friday" — not only on Fridays that fall on the 1st.

What does */5 mean in a cron field?

The slash specifies step values within a range. */5 means "every 5th value" — in the minute field, that's minutes 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, and 55. You can combine it with a range: 1-10/2 means "every 2nd value from 1 through 10" — that's 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9.

Can I use day and month names?

Yes. Use three-letter abbreviations: SUN through SAT for days of the week, and JAN through DEC for months. Names are case-insensitive and can be used in ranges (MON-FRI) and lists (JAN,JUN). For day-of-week, both 0 and 7 represent Sunday.

Is my cron expression data sent to a server?

No. All parsing and calculation happens entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Nothing is transmitted over the network.