ToolNestFree Online Cron Expression Generator
Quick answer: Stop guessing cron syntax. Our free cron expression generator builds valid schedules field by field, explains any expression in plain English, and shows the next 5 run times — so you can verify a schedule before it ever hits production. No signup, everything runs in your browser.
Stop guessing cron syntax. Our free cron expression generator builds valid schedules field by field, explains any expression in plain English, and shows the next 5 run times — so you can verify a schedule before it ever hits production. No signup, everything runs in your browser.
Build a schedule
Next 5 runs (your browser's local time)
Field syntax: * every · */5 every 5 · 1,15 list · 9-17 range. Month and weekday names (JAN–DEC, MON–SUN) also work.
Explain an expression
✓ Free forever · ✓ No signup · ✓ Runs in your browser — your data never leaves your device.
How to Use the Cron Expression Generator
- Pick a preset to fill the five fields, or type values directly (minute, hour, day of month, month, day of week).
- Read the plain-English explanation — it updates live as you edit.
- Check the 'Next 5 runs' list to confirm the schedule fires when you expect.
- Click 'Copy Expression' and paste it into your scheduler (cron, CI, cloud).
- To decode an existing schedule, paste it into the 'Explain an expression' box and click Explain It.
Why Use Our Cron Expression Generator?
- Visual schedule builder — fill five fields or start from 12 common presets; the expression builds itself.
- Plain-English explanations — every expression is translated into readable schedule language.
- Next-run preview — see the next 5 exact run times in your local timezone before you deploy.
- Full cron syntax — steps (*/5), lists (1,15), ranges (9-17), and month/weekday names all supported.
- 100% private — parsing and calculation happen in your browser; schedules never leave your device.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a cron expression?
A compact schedule format — five fields (minute, hour, day of month, month, day of week) — originally from Unix cron, now used by CI systems, cloud schedulers, and job queues. '0 9 * * 1' means 'at 9:00 AM every Monday'.
What do the five fields mean?
In order: 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'. So '30 14 1 * *' is 2:30 PM on the 1st of every month.
What does */5 mean in cron?
A step value: 'every 5 units'. '*/5' in the minute field runs every 5 minutes (at :00, :05, :10…); '*/2' in the hour field runs every 2 hours. Steps also work on ranges, e.g. '0-30/10' = minutes 0, 10, 20, 30.
How do I schedule a job every weekday at 9 AM?
Use '0 9 * * 1-5': minute 0, hour 9, any day of month, any month, weekdays Monday(1) through Friday(5). You can also write '0 9 * * MON-FRI' — weekday names work too.
What happens if I set both day-of-month and day-of-week?
Standard cron runs when EITHER matches (OR logic). '0 0 1 * 0' fires on the 1st of the month AND every Sunday. If you want AND logic, your scheduler probably doesn't offer it — run the job more often and gate inside your code.
Will this expression work in AWS EventBridge or GitHub Actions?
Mostly yes — both accept standard 5-field cron (GitHub Actions uses UTC). Watch out for schedulers with their own dialects: AWS EventBridge and Quartz use 6–7 fields (with seconds and year), so strip or pad fields when moving between systems.