Cron Expression Builder

Enter cron expression:

Format: minute hour day month day-of-week (e.g., 0 9 * * 1 = 9 AM every Monday)

Common Cron Expression Examples

🕛 Daily at Midnight

0 0 * * *

Runs every day at 12:00 AM

🏢 Weekdays at 9 AM

0 9 * * 1-5

Runs Monday to Friday at 9:00 AM

⏰ Every 15 Minutes

*/15 * * * *

Runs every 15 minutes

📅 First Day of Month

0 0 1 * *

Runs at midnight on the 1st of every month

🗓️ Weekly on Sunday

0 2 * * 0

Runs every Sunday at 2:00 AM

🔄 Every 2 Hours

30 */2 * * *

Runs at 30 minutes past every 2nd hour

Understanding Cron Expressions

Cron expressions are strings that represent a schedule for automated tasks. They consist of five fields separated by spaces, each controlling a different aspect of timing.

Cron Expression Format

minute hour day month day-of-week

Minute (0-59)

Which minute of the hour to run

Hour (0-23)

Which hour of the day to run (24-hour format)

Day (1-31)

Which day of the month to run

Month (1-12)

Which month of the year to run

Day of Week (0-6)

Which day of the week to run (0 = Sunday, 1 = Monday, etc.)

Special Characters

* (Asterisk)

Matches any value (every minute, hour, day, etc.)

/ (Slash)

Step values (*/5 = every 5 units)

- (Dash)

Range of values (1-5 = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

, (Comma)

List of values (1,3,5 = 1, 3, and 5)

Common Use Cases

Database backups and maintenance tasks
Log file rotation and cleanup
Data synchronization and ETL processes
System monitoring and health checks
Email reports and notifications
Cache clearing and optimization tasks

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 0 and 7 for Sunday?

Both 0 and 7 represent Sunday in cron expressions. Most systems accept both values, but 0 is more commonly used and standard.

Can I run a cron job every second?

Standard cron expressions only support minute-level precision. For sub-minute scheduling, you'll need specialized tools or write scripts that loop with delays.

How do I schedule a job to run only on weekdays?

Use 1-5 in the day-of-week field. For example, "0 9 * * 1-5" runs at 9 AM Monday through Friday.

What happens if I specify both day and day-of-week?

When both day-of-month and day-of-week are specified (not *), the job runs when either condition is met (OR logic), not when both are met.