Crontab Generator
Type a cron expression and instantly see what it means in plain English, or start from a common preset and tweak it. Everything runs in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
How to use the crontab generator
- Type a cron expression, or click a preset to start from a common schedule.
- Read the plain-English description that updates as you type.
- Copy the expression into your crontab, CI config or scheduler.
About cron expressions
Cron is the time-based job scheduler on Unix-like systems, and the same five-field syntax is used by CI pipelines, container schedulers and many cloud services. Each field controls one unit of time, and special characters — * (every), ranges, /steps and ,lists — combine to express schedules from "every minute" to "09:00 on weekdays".
Because the syntax is terse, a small mistake quietly changes when a job runs. This tool translates an expression into a sentence so you can confirm it does what you intend before deploying it. It parses everything locally in your browser, so your schedules never leave your device.
Two quirks catch even experienced users. First, when you restrict both the day-of-month and the day-of-week — say "0 0 1 * 1" — most cron implementations fire when either field matches, so that job runs on the 1st and every Monday, not only on Mondays that fall on the 1st. Second, Sunday can be written as 0 or 7; both are accepted by most crons, but pick one and stay consistent so your schedules stay readable.
A cron expression says nothing about timezones — the schedule runs in whatever timezone the host or service uses, and CI platforms commonly default to UTC. If your "0 9 * * 1-5" report arrives at the wrong hour, that is usually why. Daylight-saving transitions add another wrinkle: jobs scheduled between 1 and 3 AM local time can be skipped or run twice on changeover nights, so put critical jobs outside that window or on a UTC-based host.
Frequently asked questions
What is a cron expression?
A cron expression is five fields — minute, hour, day-of-month, month and day-of-week — that define a repeating schedule for a scheduled job (a "cron job") on Unix-like systems.
How do I read a crontab line?
Paste it above and the tool describes it in plain English, e.g. "30 9 * * 1-5" becomes "At 09:30 AM, Monday through Friday". Use the presets for common schedules.
Does it support ranges, steps and lists?
Yes — ranges (1-5), steps (*/15), lists (1,15,30) and names (JAN, MON) are all understood and explained.
Is anything uploaded?
No. The expression is parsed entirely in your browser; nothing is sent to a server.
Why does my cron job run every minute instead of once?
Almost always because the minute field is still an asterisk. * means every, so "* 9 * * *" matches every minute of the 9 o'clock hour — sixty runs — while "0 9 * * *" runs once at 09:00. Paste your expression above and read the description: if it starts with "every minute", pin the minute field to a specific value.