Cron Expression Parser
Free online cron expression parser. Parse and validate cron schedule expressions. See the next execution times for any cron schedule.
Enter a cron expression to see the schedule.
How to Use Cron Expression Parser
Enter a Cron Expression
Type a cron expression (5 fields: minute, hour, day of month, month, day of week). Each field accepts numbers, ranges, steps, and wildcards.
View the Schedule
The expression is parsed and the next 5 execution times are displayed. This helps you verify your cron schedule is correct.
Common Cron Expressions
| Expression | Schedule |
|---|---|
| */5 * * * * | Every 5 minutes |
| 0 * * * * | Every hour |
| 0 9 * * 1-5 | 9:00 AM on weekdays |
| 0 0 1 * * | Midnight on the 1st of each month |
| 30 14 * * 0 | 2:30 PM on Sundays |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a cron expression?
A cron expression is a string of 5 fields that defines a schedule for automated tasks. Each field represents: minute (0-59), hour (0-23), day of month (1-31), month (1-12), and day of week (0-6, where 0=Sunday). Special characters include * (every), / (step), - (range), and , (list).
What does */5 * * * * mean?
*/5 in the minute field means "every 5 minutes". So this expression runs every 5 minutes, every hour, every day. The full expression: */5 * * * *.
What does 0 9 * * 1-5 mean?
0 minute, 9th hour, every day of month, every month, Monday through Friday. This runs at 9:00 AM on weekdays.
Cron Expression Syntax
Cron expressions use 5 space-separated fields: minute hour day-of-month month day-of-week. Special characters: * (any value), , (list separator), - (range), / (step values). Each field has specific valid ranges.
Cron is used for scheduling tasks on Unix-like systems, CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions), and cloud services (AWS CloudWatch). Getting the schedule right is critical — a misplaced character can cause a job to run every minute instead of once a day.