⏱Cron Expression Parser

Cron expressions are a standard format for defining recurring task schedules. They're widely used in Linux crontab, CI/CD schedules, and cloud function triggers. An expression consists of 5 fields: 'minute hour day month weekday', each supporting * (all), numbers, ranges (1-5), intervals (*/5), and lists (1,3,5). This tool converts cron expressions into human-readable descriptions and previews the next 10 execution times.

How to Use

1
Enter Expression
Type a cron expression in the input field. Use preset buttons to quickly apply common patterns.
2
Read Description
The expression is converted into a human-readable natural language description.
3
Field Analysis
Review what each field (minute, hour, day, month, weekday) means individually.
4
Check Run Times
Verify the next 10 scheduled execution times to ensure the schedule works as intended.

Tips

💡*/5 * * * * means 'every 5 minutes'.
💡0 9 * * 1-5 means 'at 9:00 AM on weekdays'.
💡Use preset buttons to quickly start with common patterns.
💡Check the next run times list to verify your schedule works as expected.

FAQ

Q. What is a cron expression?: A. A cron expression is a string of five fields (minute, hour, day-of-month, month, day-of-week) that defines when a job should run on Unix-like systems. It powers scheduled tasks in Linux, CI/CD pipelines, and cloud services.
Q. What does "0 9 * * 1-5" mean?: A. This runs at 9:00 AM every Monday through Friday. The fields are: minute=0, hour=9, day=* (any), month=* (any), weekday=1-5 (Monday to Friday).
Q. What does "* * * * *" do?: A. It runs every minute. The asterisk (*) means "every valid value" for that field.
Q. How are cron expressions used in serverless environments?: A. AWS EventBridge, Google Cloud Scheduler, and GitHub Actions (schedule trigger) all support cron expressions to run serverless functions or workflows on a recurring schedule without a dedicated server.