How do I write a cron expression?

A cron expression has five space-separated fields: minute, hour, day-of-month, month, and day-of-week. For example, "0 9 * * 1" runs at 9 AM every Monday.

What does * mean in a cron expression?

An asterisk (*) in a cron field means "every" — every minute, every hour, every day, etc. It is the wildcard character for cron schedules.

How do I run a cron job every 5 minutes?

Use */5 in the minute field: "*/5 * * * *" runs the job every 5 minutes, every hour, every day.

What is the difference between 0 and 7 for day of week?

Both 0 and 7 represent Sunday in cron. Monday is 1, Tuesday is 2, through Saturday which is 6.

How do I schedule a cron job at midnight every day?

Use "0 0 * * *" — this sets the minute to 0, hour to 0 (midnight), and wildcards for all other fields.

Cron Expression Generator & Validator — Build Cron Jobs Instantly

Quick Presets

Schedule Builder

Minute (0–59)

Hour (0–23)

Day of Month (1–31)

Month (1–12)

Day of Week (0=Sun)

Generated Cron Expression

* * * * *

Every minute

ⓘ Cron uses server time — usually UTC. Adjust the hour field for your timezone offset.

Next 5 Scheduled Runs (your local time)

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Explain an Existing Cron Expression

Paste any 5-field cron expression to load it into the builder above and get a plain-English description.

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Cite This Tool

Cron Expression Generator. (2026). DevTools Online. Retrieved from https://devutilitypro.com/cron-expression-generator/

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