What does */5 mean in a cron expression?

The */5 syntax means 'every 5 units'. For example, */5 in the minute field means every 5 minutes (0, 5, 10, 15, ...). In the hour field it would mean every 5 hours.

How do I schedule a cron job for weekdays only?

Use 1-5 in the day-of-week field (the fifth field). For example, '0 9 * * 1-5' runs at 9:00 AM Monday through Friday.

What is the difference between cron and crontab?

Cron is the scheduling daemon that runs tasks at specified times. Crontab (cron table) is the file or command used to define and manage cron schedules. You edit your crontab to add, modify, or remove cron jobs.

Can I use this tool for AWS, Kubernetes, or GitHub Actions?

Yes. Standard 5-field cron expressions work across most platforms including crontab, AWS CloudWatch/EventBridge, Kubernetes CronJobs, GitHub Actions, and CI/CD pipelines. Some platforms add a 6th field for seconds — this tool generates the standard 5-field format.

Cron Expression Generator

Build and parse cron schedules visually. Set each field or choose a preset to generate a cron expression. See the human-readable description and next execution times instantly.

Common Presets

Minute

Hour

Day of Month

Month

Day of Week

Cron Expression

0 9 * * *

At 09:00 AM

Or parse an existing cron expression

Next 5 Execution Times

3/28/2026, 9:00:00 AM
3/29/2026, 9:00:00 AM
3/30/2026, 9:00:00 AM
3/31/2026, 9:00:00 AM
4/1/2026, 9:00:00 AM

Cron Field Reference

Field	Values	Special
Minute	0-59	* , - /
Hour	0-23	* , - /
Day of Month	1-31	* , - /
Month	1-12	* , - /
Day of Week	0-6 (Sun=0)	* , - /

What Is a Cron Expression?

A cron expression is a schedule definition used by Unix-like operating systems and modern cloud platforms to automate recurring tasks. It consists of five fields (minute, hour, day of month, month, day of week) that together specify when a command or script should run.