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.
📖 Runs at 09:00 on weekdays
Next 5 run times
Common presets
Syntax reference
*Any value*/nEvery n unitsa-bRange from a to ba,b,cSpecific valuesBuild cron expressions visually without memorizing the syntax. SolveBar's Cron Generator shows you an instant plain-English description of your schedule and the next 5 run times — so you can be confident your job will run exactly when you intend.
Understanding cron syntax
A cron expression has 5 space-separated fields: minute (0-59), hour (0-23), day of month (1-31), month (1-12), and day of week (0-6, Sunday=0). Use * for any value, */n for every n units, a-b for ranges, and a,b,c for specific values. Example: 0 9 * * 1-5 runs at 9am every weekday.
Common cron schedule patterns
Every hour: 0 * * * *. Every day at midnight: 0 0 * * *. Every Monday at 9am: 0 9 * * 1. First of every month: 0 0 1 * *. Every 15 minutes: */15 * * * *.
Timezone considerations
Cron jobs run in the timezone of the server, not your local time. If your server is UTC and you want 9am London time (UTC+1 in winter), schedule at 8am UTC. Always document the timezone assumption in your cron configuration.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between cron and crontab?
Cron is the background service that runs scheduled tasks. Crontab is the file (or command) that configures what cron should run and when.
Can cron run a job every second?
Standard cron only goes down to minute-level precision. For sub-minute scheduling use systemd timers, Node.js setInterval, or dedicated job schedulers.
Why is my cron job not running at the expected time?
Most common reasons: wrong timezone assumption, the server was down at that time, a syntax error in the expression, or the script has a permission issue.