What is a cron expression?

A cron expression is a string of 5 fields that defines a recurring schedule for automated tasks. The fields represent: minute (0-59), hour (0-23), day of month (1-31), month (1-12), and day of week (0-7, where 0 and 7 are Sunday).

What does * mean in a cron expression?

An asterisk (*) in a cron field means "every possible value" for that field. For example, * in the minute field means every minute, and * in the month field means every month.

What does */15 mean in a cron expression?

*/15 uses the step syntax and means "every 15 units". In the minute field, */15 means every 15 minutes (at minutes 0, 15, 30, and 45). In the hour field, */6 would mean every 6 hours.

How do I run a cron job every weekday?

Use 1-5 in the day-of-week field to target Monday through Friday. For example, "0 9 * * 1-5" runs at 9:00 AM every weekday.

What is the difference between day-of-month and day-of-week in cron?

When both day-of-month and day-of-week are specified (neither is *), most cron implementations use OR logic — the job runs if either condition is met. If only one is specified, only that condition applies.

Free Tool

Cron Expression Parser

Translate any cron expression into plain English and see the next scheduled run times. Supports all standard cron syntax including ranges, steps, and lists.

Parse a Cron Expression

min

Minute

Hour

day

Day

mon

Month

dow

Weekday

Format: minute(0-59) hour(0-23) day(1-31) month(1-12) weekday(0-7)· Use * (any), */n (every n), n-m (range), n,m (list)

Common Examples