Cron Expression Generator
Build and understand cron expressions with a visual interface
Cron Expression Generator
Build scheduled tasks visually
Quick Presets
Schedule Builder
Generated Expression
Schedule: At 09:00 AM, every day
Code Snippets
// Node.js with node-cron
const cron = require('node-cron');
cron.schedule('0 9 * * *', () => {
console.log('Task executed');
});How to Use Cron Expression Generator
- 1 Select time intervals using the dropdowns or click a preset
- 2 See the generated cron expression update in real-time
- 3 View human-readable explanation of your schedule
- 4 Preview the next 5 scheduled run times
- 5 Copy the expression or code snippet for your platform
What You Get
Visual cron expression builder with dropdowns for minute, hour, day, month, and weekday fields. Includes common presets, human-readable explanations, and code snippets for Node.js, Python, Linux, and GitHub Actions.
Input: Every weekday at 9 AM
Output: 0 9 * * 1-5
Input: Every 15 minutes
Output: */15 * * * *
Input: First of every month at midnight
Output: 0 0 1 * *
Input: Every Sunday at noon
Output: 0 12 * * 0
What is a cron expression?
A cron expression is a string of 5 fields separated by spaces that defines a schedule. The fields represent minute, hour, day of month, month, and day of week. Systems like Linux, Node.js, and CI/CD pipelines use cron to schedule recurring tasks.
How do I read a cron expression?
Read left to right: minute (0-59), hour (0-23), day of month (1-31), month (1-12), day of week (0-6, Sunday=0). An asterisk (*) means "every" and a slash (/) means "every nth". For example, */15 * * * * means every 15 minutes.
What does * mean in cron?
The asterisk (*) is a wildcard meaning "every possible value" for that field. So * in the minute field means every minute, * in the hour field means every hour, and so on.
How do I run a cron job every 5 minutes?
Use */5 in the minute field: */5 * * * *. The /5 means "every 5th minute" starting from 0, so it runs at 0, 5, 10, 15... minutes.
How do I schedule a job for weekdays only?
Use 1-5 in the day of week field (Monday through Friday). For example, 0 9 * * 1-5 runs at 9:00 AM Monday through Friday.
What timezone does cron use?
By default, cron uses the system timezone. In cloud services like GitHub Actions, it typically uses UTC. Always check your platform documentation and consider timezone differences.
How do I test my cron expression?
Use this generator to see the next 5 scheduled run times. This shows exactly when your job will execute based on the expression you created.
Can I run cron jobs in Node.js?
Yes! Use the node-cron package: npm install node-cron. Then use cron.schedule() with your expression. The code snippet section shows the exact syntax.
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