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Cron Expression Explainer

Paste any cron expression and get an instant, human-readable explanation of when it runs.

Explanation

Enter a 5- or 6-field cron expression (e.g. 5 * * * * or 0 9 * * 1-5) and click Explain.

How to Use This Tool

  1. Enter or paste a cron expression (e.g. 5 or 0 9 1-5).
  2. Click Explain to see a field-by-field breakdown.
  3. Use the Examples menu to try common expressions like every 15 minutes or weekdays at 9 AM.

Learn More About Cron Expression Explainer

Understanding Cron Expressions

A cron expression is a string that defines when a scheduled task runs. It has 5 fields (or 6 if seconds are used):

  • Minute (0–59)
  • Hour (0–23)
  • Day of month (1–31)
  • Month (1–12 or JAN–DEC)
  • Day of week (0–6 or SUN–SAT; 0 = Sunday)

Common patterns:

  • * = every (e.g. every minute, every hour)
  • `/n` = every n units (e.g. `/15` = every 15 minutes)
  • a-b = range (e.g. 1-5 = Monday–Friday)
  • a,b,c = list (e.g. 0,30 = at 0 and 30)

About

The Cron Expression Explainer helps you understand cron expressions. Paste any 5- or 6-field cron string and get a clear explanation of each field and when the schedule runs. Use it to decode expressions you find in configs or to verify your own schedules.

Examples

Every hour at 5 minutes past

Runs at :05 of every hour.
Input
5 * * * *
Output
Fields: minute, hour, day of month, month, day of week

Minute: 5
Hour: *
Day of month: *
Month: *
Day of week: *

Weekdays at 9:00 AM

Runs at 9:00 AM Monday through Friday.
Input
0 9 * * 1-5
Output
Fields: minute, hour, day of month, month, day of week

Minute: 0
Hour: 9
Day of month: *
Month: *
Day of week: 1-5

Every 15 minutes

Runs at :00, :15, :30, and :45 of every hour.
Input
*/15 * * * *
Output
Fields: minute, hour, day of month, month, day of week

Minute: */15
Hour: *
Day of month: *
Month: *
Day of week: *

First day of month at midnight

Runs once per month at 00:00 on the 1st.
Input
0 0 1 * *
Output
Fields: minute, hour, day of month, month, day of week

Minute: 0
Hour: 0
Day of month: 1
Month: *
Day of week: *

Every Sunday at midnight

Runs at 00:00 every Sunday.
Input
0 0 * * 0
Output
Fields: minute, hour, day of month, month, day of week

Minute: 0
Hour: 0
Day of month: *
Month: *
Day of week: 0

Use Cases

  • Understanding cron expressions in existing configs, CI/CD pipelines, or backup scripts.
  • Verifying that a cron expression matches the schedule you intend (e.g. weekdays only, first of month).
  • Learning cron syntax by experimenting with examples and seeing the explanation.

Frequently Asked Questions

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