Cron Expression Generator
Build cron expressions visually for crontab, GitHub Actions, AWS EventBridge, and any cron-syntax scheduler. See the next 5 runs and a description.
timerCron Expression
Every minute
scheduleNext 5 Runs
- 1Sat, May 9, 2026, 01:12 AM
- 2Sat, May 9, 2026, 01:13 AM
- 3Sat, May 9, 2026, 01:14 AM
- 4Sat, May 9, 2026, 01:15 AM
- 5Sat, May 9, 2026, 01:16 AM
infoQuick Reference
lightbulbTip
The five fields are: minute (0-59), hour (0-23), day of month (1-31), month (1-12), and weekday (0-6, where 0 is Sunday). Use */N for intervals and A-B for ranges.
What is the Cron Expression Generator?
A cron expression is a five-field string (minute, hour, day-of-month, month, day-of-week) that tells a scheduler when to run a job. Cron syntax appears in Unix crontab, systemd timers, GitHub Actions workflows, AWS EventBridge, Google Cloud Scheduler, and most application frameworks. The visual builder saves you from memorizing the field positions and special characters.
How to use the Cron Expression Generator
- 1
Configure each field
For each of the five fields, pick a mode: Every (runs on all values), Specific (one value), Range (start to end), or Interval (every N units). The dropdowns and inputs adjust to the mode.
- 2
Watch the expression update
The expression appears in the sidebar in standard m h dom mon dow format, with a plain-English description below it (for example, "At 09:00 on Monday").
- 3
Verify with the next runs
The Next 5 Runs panel projects when the schedule will fire. Spot-check these against what you actually want before deploying.
- 4
Copy and paste
Click the copy icon on the expression. Paste into your crontab -e, GitHub Actions cron: field, AWS EventBridge schedule, or any other cron-syntax scheduler.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a cron expression?
A five-field string that defines a recurring schedule: minute hour day-of-month month day-of-week. So 0 9 * * 1 means "at 9:00 on every Monday". Cron syntax originated in 1970s Unix and is the default scheduling format for crontab, systemd timers, and most CI/CD systems and cloud schedulers.
What do the special characters mean?
Four matter: * means "every value" for that field. */N means "every N intervals" (*/5 in the minute field is every 5 minutes). A-B is a range (1-5 in day-of-week is Mon-Fri). A,B,C is a list (1,15 in day-of-month means the 1st and the 15th).
Does it show when the cron job will run next?
Yes. The Next 5 Runs panel computes the upcoming firings of your expression in your local timezone. If no run falls within the next year (impossible date like Feb 30, or contradictory ranges), the panel says so. Use this to validate the schedule before pushing it to production.