Cron Parser
Parse cron expressions into human-readable descriptions
Free online cron parser to translate cron expressions into plain English instantly. Supports 5, 6, 7-field formats. Examples: "0 0 * * *" = daily at midnight, "*/5 * * * *" = every 5 minutes. Used in Linux crontab, Kubernetes, AWS, GitHub Actions, CI/CD. Validate syntax instantly. Real-time parsing, 100% client-side.
Format: minute hour day month dayOfWeek (0-23/0-59/1-31/1-12/0-6)
Common Examples (click to use)
What Is a Cron Expression?
A cron expression is a string of 5 to 7 fields that defines a schedule for recurring tasks. Originally created for Unix cron daemons, cron expressions are now used in Linux crontab, Kubernetes CronJobs, AWS CloudWatch Events, GitHub Actions, CI/CD pipelines, and task schedulers across all platforms. Each field specifies when the task should run — from minutes and hours to days, months, and days of the week.
Cron Format Reference
5 Fields — Standard (Linux crontab, GitHub Actions)
┌──── minute (0-59)
│ ┌──── hour (0-23)
│ │ ┌──── day of month (1-31)
│ │ │ ┌──── month (1-12)
│ │ │ │ ┌──── day of week (0-6, Sun=0)
* * * * *
6 Fields — With Seconds (Spring, Quartz)
second minute hour day month dayOfWeek
Example: 0 0 0 * * * = Daily at midnight with second precision
7 Fields — With Year (Quartz Scheduler)
second minute hour day month dayOfWeek year
Example: 0 0 0 * * * 2026 = Daily at midnight in 2026 only
Special Characters
*Any value
/Step (*/5 = every 5)
-Range (1-5)
,List (1,3,5)
Where Are Cron Expressions Used?
- Linux crontab: Scheduling system maintenance, backups, and scripts
- Kubernetes CronJobs: Running periodic container tasks in clusters
- CI/CD: GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, and Jenkins scheduled pipelines
- AWS: CloudWatch Events, EventBridge rules, and Lambda scheduled triggers
- Frameworks: Spring @Scheduled, Node.js node-cron, Laravel Task Scheduling