Cron Expression Builder
Build cron expressions for scheduled tasks using a visual builder. See a plain-English explanation and next execution times for any cron expression.
* * * * *
Why use a Cron Expression Builder?
Cron syntax is powerful but has a steep learning curve — the five-field format is easy to misread, and mistakes can cause jobs to run at the wrong time or not at all. This builder lets you construct expressions visually with presets and plain-English descriptions, then shows you the next five run times so you can verify the schedule before deploying. See also Linux commands reference and subnet calculator in the networking tools suite.
Human-readable output
The builder translates your expression into plain English (e.g. "Every 5 minutes") so you can confirm the schedule instantly.
Next 5 run times
Computed next run times show the exact dates and times your job will fire — essential for verifying month-boundary logic.
Presets library
Common schedules (every hour, daily, weekdays, every 5 min) are available as one-click presets to speed up common tasks.
Cron field reference
A standard cron expression has five fields separated by spaces. Each field supports specific values and special characters.
| Field | Position | Allowed values | Special chars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minute | 1st | 0 – 59 | * , - / |
| Hour | 2nd | 0 – 23 | * , - / |
| Day of month | 3rd | 1 – 31 | * , - / ? |
| Month | 4th | 1 – 12 or JAN-DEC | * , - / |
| Day of week | 5th | 0 – 7 or SUN-SAT (0 and 7 = Sunday) | * , - / ? |