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Cron Expression Generator & Descriptor

Generate and describe cron expressions with human-readable explanations and next execution times.

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Cron Generator

Generate and parse cron expressions easily.

Quick Config

Minute
Hour
Day
Month
Week

Description

Every minute

Next 5 runs

How It Works

Enter your values into Cron Generator, let the browser process the data, and review the result instantly.

Example

Example: use Cron Generator to test a scenario before making a decision.

When to use this tool

  • Scheduling background jobs, server backups, or data syncs.
  • Translating complex cron strings into human-readable text.
  • Verifying the next execution times for a cron job.

How to read Cron patterns

  • * = Any value / Every time
  • , = Value list separator (e.g. 1,5)
  • - = Range of values (e.g. 1-5)
  • / = Step values (e.g. */5 for every 5 units)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Cron expression?

A cron expression is a string representing a schedule to execute commands or scripts. It consists of 5 or 6 fields separated by spaces: Minute, Hour, Day of Month, Month, and Day of Week.

What does * mean in Cron?

The asterisk (*) wildcard means "every". For example, a * in the Minute field means the task will run every minute.

How can I run a task every 5 minutes?

You can use the step operator: "*/5 * * * *".