developer

Cron Expression Generator

Generate cron expressions by clicking — no memorizing syntax. See an instant human-readable description of your schedule and next 5 run times. Saves your recent expressions locally.

0
Minute
0-59
9
Hour
0-23
*
Day
1-31
*
Month
1-12
1-5
Weekday
0-6

📖 Runs at 09:00 on weekdays

Next 5 run times

#1Mon, May 11, 09:00 AMNext
#2Tue, May 12, 09:00 AM
#3Wed, May 13, 09:00 AM
#4Thu, May 14, 09:00 AM
#5Fri, May 15, 09:00 AM

Common presets

Syntax reference
Minute
0=top of hour, */5=every 5min
Hour
0=midnight, 12=noon, */6=every 6h
Day
*=every day, 1=1st of month
Month
1=Jan, 12=Dec, */3=quarterly
Weekday
0=Sun, 1=Mon … 6=Sat, 1-5=weekdays
*Any value
*/nEvery n units
a-bRange from a to b
a,b,cSpecific values
Expressions saved locally
Cron built? Convert the schedule time to a Unix timestamp, or manage code snippets.Unix Timestamp Converter

Build and understand cron expressions visually with SolveBar's Cron Expression Generator. No need to memorize syntax—click to build your schedule and get an instant plain-English translation alongside the next 5 run times.

Cron expression syntax explained

A cron expression has 5 fields: Minute (0-59), Hour (0-23), Day of Month (1-31), Month (1-12), and Day of Week (0-6). For example, `0 9 * * 1-5` means 9:00 AM, Monday through Friday.

Common cron schedule examples

Every 15 minutes: `*/15 * * * *`. Every day at midnight: `0 0 * * *`. Every Monday at 9 AM: `0 9 * * 1`. The first of every month: `0 0 1 * *`. Use the generator to create these without typing them manually.

Cron builder vs. manual typing

Manually typing cron syntax often leads to invalid schedules that fail silently. A visual cron expression builder ensures your logic is translated into valid syntax, showing you the exact human-readable description before you deploy it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I write a cron expression to run every 5 minutes?

The cron expression for every 5 minutes is `*/5 * * * *`. Use our cron builder and select 'Every 5 minutes' from the minute dropdown to generate this automatically.

What does * * * * * mean in cron?

This means 'run every minute of every hour of every day'. It is the most frequent standard cron schedule and is rarely used in production due to the high load it generates.

How do I schedule a cron job for a specific time?

Set the minute and hour fields to your desired time, and use `*` for the day, month, and weekday fields. For example, `30 14 * * *` runs at 2:30 PM every day.