Cron Expression Builder

Build and parse cron expressions with interactive field selectors, common presets, and next scheduled run times.

What is a Cron Expression?

A cron expression is a string of five (or six) fields that defines a schedule for recurring tasks. Originally used in Unix-like operating systems, cron expressions are now widely used in CI/CD pipelines, task schedulers, cloud functions, and container orchestration platforms like Kubernetes. Each field represents a time unit: minute, hour, day of month, month, and day of week.

This cron builder lets you create cron expressions using intuitive dropdown menus and instantly see when your scheduled task will run next.

How to Use This Cron Builder

Use the dropdowns — Select values for each cron field (minute, hour, day, month, day of week) using the dropdown menus.

Or type directly — Enter a cron expression string directly in the input field to parse and visualize it.

Preview the schedule — See the next 5 scheduled run times to verify your expression works as intended.

Read the description — A human-readable description of your cron schedule is shown automatically.

Copy and use — Copy the expression to use in your crontab, CI/CD config, or scheduler.

Common Use Cases

Scheduled backups — Set up database or file backups to run daily, weekly, or at custom intervals.

CI/CD pipelines — Configure scheduled builds, deployments, or test runs in GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or Jenkins.

Cloud functions — Schedule AWS Lambda, Google Cloud Functions, or Azure Functions to run at specific times.

Log rotation & cleanup — Automate cleaning up old logs, temp files, or expired cache entries on a regular schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a cron expression?

A cron expression is a string of five (or six) fields that defines a schedule for running tasks automatically. The fields represent minute, hour, day of month, month, and day of week. For example, "0 9 * * 1" means "every Monday at 9:00 AM".

How do I schedule a cron job to run every 5 minutes?

Use the cron expression "*/5 * * * *". The */5 in the minute field means "every 5 minutes". You can use this tool's preset selector to quickly generate this and other common schedules.

How do I test if my cron expression is correct?

Paste your cron expression into this tool and it will show you a human-readable description of the schedule along with the next several run times. This lets you verify the expression matches your intended schedule before deploying.