Cron Expression Parser
Parse and explain cron expressions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a cron expression?
A cron expression defines a schedule using 5 fields: minute (0-59), hour (0-23), day of month (1-31), month (1-12), day of week (0-6). Example: "30 9 * * 1-5" means 9:30 AM every weekday. The parser explains any expression in plain English.
How do I read a cron expression?
Fields left to right: minute, hour, day-of-month, month, day-of-week. * means "every". */5 means "every 5". 1,15 means "1st and 15th". 1-5 means "1 through 5". The parser shows the next 10 execution times for verification.
What does */5 * * * * mean?
Every 5 minutes, every hour, every day. The */5 in the minute field means "at minutes 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55". This is one of the most common cron patterns for periodic tasks.
How do I schedule a job for the first Monday of every month?
There is no direct cron syntax for "first Monday." Use: 0 9 1-7 * 1 (9 AM on days 1-7 if it is Monday). Some cron implementations support extended syntax. The parser validates your expression and shows actual execution dates.
What is the difference between 5-field and 6-field cron?
Standard cron uses 5 fields (minute through day-of-week). Some systems add a 6th field for seconds at the beginning, or a year field at the end. The parser supports both 5-field (standard) and 6-field (with seconds) formats.