Cron Expression Generator

Build a schedule, or paste one, and read it in plain English.

Expression format

Paste a schedule here, or use the buttons below.

Every 5 minutes.

Custom minute, hour, day, month, and weekday

If you set both a day of the month and a weekday, the job runs when either one matches.

Next 5 runs

Which clock the numbers use
Your time · UTCUTC
  1. Thu, Nov 12, 2026, 4:40 AM UTCThu, Nov 12, 2026, 4:40 AM UTC
  2. Thu, Nov 12, 2026, 4:45 AM UTCThu, Nov 12, 2026, 4:45 AM UTC
  3. Thu, Nov 12, 2026, 4:50 AM UTCThu, Nov 12, 2026, 4:50 AM UTC
  4. Thu, Nov 12, 2026, 4:55 AM UTCThu, Nov 12, 2026, 4:55 AM UTC
  5. Thu, Nov 12, 2026, 5:00 AM UTCThu, Nov 12, 2026, 5:00 AM UTC

Read in UTC. The other clock is the same moment. A spring-forward gap is skipped, and a repeated hour is listed twice.

Crontab line

*/5 * * * * your-command

GitHub Actions

on:
  schedule:
    - cron: '*/5 * * * *'

Kubernetes CronJob

apiVersion: batch/v1
kind: CronJob
metadata:
  name: example
spec:
  schedule: "*/5 * * * *"
  jobTemplate:
    spec:
      template:
        spec:
          containers:
            - name: job
              image: busybox
          restartPolicy: OnFailure

GitHub Actions and Kubernetes read a 5-field cron in UTC.

How to use this cron expression generator

  1. Choose Standard for a crontab, With seconds for Quartz or Spring, or AWS for EventBridge.
  2. Pick a preset, set a time, or open the custom fields. You can also paste an expression into the box.
  3. Read the plain-English line. If something is wrong, the message names the field.
  4. Check the next 5 runs in your timezone and in UTC, then copy the crontab, GitHub Actions, or Kubernetes snippet.

Cron cheat sheet

A standard cron schedule expression has five fields, in this order: minute, hour, day of the month, month, weekday. Use * for every value, a comma for a list, a hyphen for a range, and / for a step.

Common crontab lines
ExpressionMeaning
* * * * *Every minute
*/5 * * * *Every 5 minutes
0 * * * *Every hour
0 9 * * *Every day at 9:00
0 9 * * 1-5Weekdays at 9:00
0 9 1 * *9:00 on the first of the month
0 0 * * 0Sunday at midnight
@dailyEvery day at midnight

Special strings

These shortcuts work in a standard crontab. They are another way to write a common cron job, not extra fields.

Crontab shortcuts
ShortcutSame asWhen it runs
@yearly or @annually0 0 1 1 *Midnight on January 1
@monthly0 0 1 * *Midnight on the 1st
@weekly0 0 * * 0Midnight on Sunday
@daily or @midnight0 0 * * *Midnight every day
@hourly0 * * * *Minute 0 of every hour
@reboot—When the computer starts

Standard, Quartz, and AWS

Use this page as a cron expression builder for the format your scheduler actually reads. A standard crontab counts Sunday as 0 or 7. Quartz and AWS count Sunday as 1, and they want ? in either the day of the month or the weekday. AWS adds a year and wraps the line in cron().

GitHub Actions and Kubernetes want the 5-field form, and they evaluate it in UTC. The copy blocks above say so. If you are scheduling a server job, the next-run list is the one to trust for the clock you selected.

FAQ

What is a cron expression generator?

A cron expression generator builds the schedule line a crontab uses. Pick a preset or set the minute, hour, day, month, and weekday. The expression, the plain-English line, and the next run times update as you edit. Nothing you type is uploaded.

What is the difference between a cron job generator and a crontab generator?

They build the same schedule. A crontab generator adds a ready-to-paste line with a placeholder for your command. A cron job generator also shows the GitHub Actions schedule block and a Kubernetes CronJob. This page is both.

How many fields are in a cron expression?

A standard crontab has 5 fields: minute, hour, day of the month, month, and weekday. With seconds adds a seconds field at the front, which is the Quartz and Spring format. AWS EventBridge uses minute, hour, day, month, weekday, and year, written as cron(...).

What do @daily and the other shortcuts mean?

@yearly and @annually are midnight on January 1. @monthly is midnight on the 1st. @weekly is midnight on Sunday. @daily and @midnight are midnight every day. @hourly is the start of every hour. @reboot runs when the computer starts, so it has no next clock time.

Why is the next run different in my timezone and in UTC?

The expression is a wall-clock schedule. Choose your timezone or UTC to decide which clock the numbers use. Each run is shown in both clocks. GitHub Actions and Kubernetes use UTC. When the clocks spring forward, a missing hour is skipped. When they fall back, a repeated hour is listed twice.

Can I paste a cron schedule expression?

Yes. Paste a 5-field expression, a 6-field seconds expression, or an AWS cron line. The page checks it and describes it. If a number is out of range, the message names the field and the numbers that field allows.

Does this cron expression builder support Quartz and AWS?

Yes. Choose With seconds for Quartz and Spring. In that format Sunday is 1, and you put ? in the day field you are not using. Choose AWS for EventBridge. It also uses ?, and it adds a year. Standard crontab uses 0 or 7 for Sunday and does not use ?.

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