Cron Expression Parser
Free online Cron expression parser, show next execution times
What is a Cron Expression?
A cron expression is a string of five fields (minute hour day-of-month month day-of-week) used to schedule recurring tasks in Unix-like operating systems, job schedulers, and cloud platforms. For example, 0 9 * * 1-5 means every weekday at 9:00 AM.
Cron Field Reference
Minute (0-59) | Hour (0-23) | Day of Month (1-31) | Month (1-12) | Day of Week (0-6, 0=Sunday). Special characters: * (any), , (list), - (range), / (step). For example, */5 * * * * means every 5 minutes.
How to Use the Cron Parser
Enter a cron expression and the tool shows a human-readable description and the next 5 execution times. Use the preset buttons for common schedules.
▶What does */5 mean in a cron expression?
*/5 means every 5 units. In the minute field, it means minutes 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 — i.e., every 5 minutes.
▶What is the difference between 5 fields and 6 fields cron?
Standard Unix cron uses 5 fields. Some implementations (like Spring, Quartz, AWS) use 6 fields with an additional seconds field at the beginning. This tool supports the standard 5-field format.
▶How do I run a cron job every Monday at 9 AM?
Use 0 9 * * 1. The 0 is the minute (top of the hour), 9 is the hour, * * means any day of month and any month, and 1 means Monday.