Cron Expression Parser
Parse cron expressions into human-readable schedules with next run times.
Cron Syntax Reference
| Symbol | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| * | Any value | * * * * * |
| , | List of values | 1,15 * * * * |
| - | Range of values | * 9-17 * * * |
| / | Step values | */15 * * * * |
How to Use the Cron Expression Parser
Enter a standard 5-field cron expression in the input box and click "Parse" (or press Enter). The tool will show a human-readable description, a field-by-field breakdown, and the next 5 upcoming execution times.
Cron Expression Format
A 5-field cron expression follows the format: minute hour day-of-month month day-of-week. Each field accepts numbers, wildcards (*), ranges (1-5), lists (1,15,30), and step values (*/10).
Common Presets
Click any preset button to quickly load a common schedule: every minute, hourly, daily at midnight, weekly on Monday, monthly on the 1st, weekdays at 9 AM, and more.
Field Breakdown
The table explains what each field in your expression means, making it easy to understand or debug complex schedules.
Next Execution Times
See the next 5 times the cron job would run based on the current date and time. Copy any date with one click.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a cron expression?
A cron expression is a string of 5 (or sometimes 6-7) fields separated by spaces that defines a schedule. The standard 5-field format specifies minute, hour, day of month, month, and day of week. Cron expressions are used in Unix/Linux crontab, CI/CD pipelines, task schedulers and cloud services to run jobs on a recurring schedule.
What does each field in a cron expression mean?
The 5 fields are: minute (0-59), hour (0-23), day of month (1-31), month (1-12), and day of week (0-6, where 0 is Sunday). An asterisk (*) means "every value", a comma separates a list, a hyphen defines a range, and a slash defines a step interval.
What does */5 mean in a cron expression?
*/5 means "every 5th value". For example, */5 in the minute field means every 5 minutes (0, 5, 10, 15, ..., 55). In the hour field it would mean every 5 hours (0, 5, 10, 15, 20).
Can I use month and day names?
Yes. This parser accepts 3-letter abbreviations like JAN, FEB, MON, TUE etc. They are automatically converted to their numeric equivalents before parsing.
What is the difference between 5-field and 6/7-field cron?
The standard 5-field format covers minute through day of week. Some systems add a 6th field for seconds (at the beginning) or a 7th for year (at the end). This tool supports the standard 5-field format used by most cron implementations.
Is my data sent to a server?
No. All parsing and computation happens entirely in your browser. No data is uploaded to any server.
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