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Cron Expression Parser

Parse and understand cron expressions with next execution times

Cron Fields:

Minute
*
Hour
*
Day
*
Month
*
Weekday
*

Next 5 Execution Times:

    Cron Format: minute hour day month weekday
    Examples:
    ? * * * * * - Every minute
    ? 0 */2 * * * - Every 2 hours
    ? 30 9 * * 1-5 - 9:30 AM on weekdays
    ? 0 0 1,15 * * - Midnight on 1st and 15th

    What is Cron Expression Parser?

    Parse, validate, and understand cron expressions with our free Cron Parser. Enter any cron expression and see a human-readable description, next execution times, and a visual breakdown of each field. Essential for DevOps engineers, system administrators, and developers scheduling automated tasks on Linux servers and CI/CD pipelines.

    How to Use Cron Expression Parser

    1

    Enter a cron expression (e.g., */5 * * * * for every 5 minutes).

    2

    View the human-readable interpretation of the expression.

    3

    See the next 5-10 scheduled execution times.

    4

    Modify fields using the interactive builder if needed.

    Key Features

    Human-readable cron descriptions
    Next execution time predictions
    Support for standard 5-field and extended 6-field cron
    Interactive visual cron builder
    Common preset expressions library

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What does * mean in cron?

    The asterisk (*) means 'every' or 'any'. For example, * in the minute field means 'every minute', and * in the hour field means 'every hour'. So '* * * * *' runs every minute of every hour of every day.

    What does */5 mean in cron?

    The */5 syntax means 'every 5th'. So */5 in the minute field means 'every 5 minutes' (0, 5, 10, 15...). */2 in the hour field means 'every 2 hours'.

    What's the difference between cron and crontab?

    Cron is the scheduling daemon (background service) that runs scheduled tasks. Crontab (cron table) is the file where you define the schedule and commands. You edit it with 'crontab -e'.