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Cron Syntax Reference

Cron Syntax Reference

Master cron expressions with interactive examples and live previews

All examples are clickable - try them in the builder below!

Cron Expression Format

* * * * *
minute
hour
day
month
weekday

Each field can contain specific values, ranges, lists, or special characters

Field Reference

Minute

Position: 1

0-59

Which minute(s) of the hour to run

Hour

Position: 2

0-23

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

Day of Month

Position: 3

1-31

Which day(s) of the month to run

Month

Position: 4

1-12

Which month(s) to run (1=Jan, 12=Dec)

Day of Week

Position: 5

0-6

Which day(s) of the week to run (0=Sunday, 6=Saturday)

Special Characters

*

Asterisk

Matches any value in the field

* * * * *Every minute
Click to try in builder below ↓
0 * * * *Every hour
Click to try in builder below ↓
0 0 * * *Every day at midnight
Click to try in builder below ↓
,

Comma

Specifies a list of values

0 0,12 * * *At midnight and noon
Click to try in builder below ↓
0 9 * * 1,3,5At 9 AM on Mon, Wed, Fri
Click to try in builder below ↓
0 0 1,15 * *On the 1st and 15th of each month
Click to try in builder below ↓
-

Hyphen

Specifies a range of values

0 9-17 * * *Every hour from 9 AM to 5 PM
Click to try in builder below ↓
0 0 * * 1-5Every weekday at midnight
Click to try in builder below ↓
*/15 9-17 * * *Every 15 minutes from 9 AM to 5 PM
Click to try in builder below ↓
/

Slash

Specifies step values (increments)

*/5 * * * *Every 5 minutes
Click to try in builder below ↓
0 */2 * * *Every 2 hours
Click to try in builder below ↓
0 0 */3 * *Every 3 days
Click to try in builder below ↓

Common Patterns

0 * * * *Every hour
*/5 * * * *Every 5 minutes
0 0 * * *Daily at midnight
0 9 * * 1Every Monday at 9 AM
0 0 1 * *First day of every month
0 0 * * 0Every Sunday at midnight
0 */6 * * *Every 6 hours
0 0 1 1 *New Year's Day at midnight

Try It Yourself

Click any example above to see it in action, or head to the full builder to create your own expressions.

Build Expression

Enter minute value between 0 and 59, or use * for every minute
Enter hour value between 0 and 23, or use * for every hour
Enter day of month value between 1 and 31, or use * for every day
Enter month value between 1 and 12, or use * for every month
Enter day of week value between 0 (Sunday) and 6 (Saturday), or use * for every day
Expression
* * * * *
Valid cron expression

Description

💬

Every minute

Next Runs

Enter a valid expression to see next runs

Tips & Best Practices

💡

Start Simple

Begin with basic patterns like 0 * * * * and gradually add complexity.

✅

Always Validate

Use our builder to validate expressions before deploying them to production systems.

⏰

Mind Your Timezone

Cron times are typically in the server's timezone. Check our timezone settings in the builder.

🔍

Test Before Deploy

Review the "Next Runs" preview to ensure your schedule matches your expectations.

⚠️ Disclaimer This reference and all schedule calculations are provided as-is for educational and development purposes. Always test your cron expressions in a safe environment before deploying to production systems. Accuracy of schedule predictions depends on your system's timezone and cron implementation.