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Cron Expression Parser

Parse, build, and visualize cron expressions with next run times

Free online cron expression parser and builder. Convert cron expressions to human-readable text, generate next 5 execution times, and build cron expressions visually. Perfect for developers, DevOps, and system administrators.

Parse Cron Expression

Quick Examples

Visual Cron Builder

Build your cron expression using dropdowns instead of typing.

How to parse a cron expression?

Our cron parser converts cryptic cron expressions into plain English descriptions:

  • Enter or paste your cron expression in the input field. Standard 5-field format: minute hour day-of-month month day-of-week.
  • Click 'Parse' or press Enter to convert the expression into a human-readable description like 'Every day at 09:00' or 'At 14:30 on Monday'.
  • View the next 5 execution times calculated from the current moment. This helps you understand exactly when your scheduled task will run.
  • Use the visual builder below to construct cron expressions by selecting values from dropdown menus instead of typing them manually.
  • Copy the parsed result or the cron expression itself using the copy buttons provided.

Understanding cron expression fields

A standard cron expression has 5 space-separated fields:

  • Minute (0-59): Which minute of the hour the task runs. Use * for every minute, */5 for every 5 minutes.
  • Hour (0-23): Which hour of the day. 0 = midnight, 12 = noon, 23 = 11 PM.
  • Day of Month (1-31): Which day of the month. Use * for every day, 15 for the 15th.
  • Month (1-12 or JAN-DEC): Which month. Use * for every month, 6 for June, DEC for December.
  • Day of Week (0-7 where 0 and 7 = Sunday, or SUN-SAT): Which day of the week. Use * for every day, MON for Monday only.
  • Special characters: * means any value, , means list (MON,WED,FRI), - means range (1-5), / means step (*/15 = every 15 units).

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the difference between 5-field and 6-field cron expressions?

Standard Unix cron uses 5 fields (minute, hour, day, month, weekday). Some systems like Quartz scheduler add a 6th field for seconds at the beginning. Our parser supports both formats — if you enter 6 fields, the first is treated as seconds. Most Linux crontabs use the 5-field format.

How do I run a task every 5 minutes?

Use */5 in the minute field: */5 * * * *. This means 'every 5 minutes of every hour of every day.' Other common patterns: */15 * * * * (every 15 minutes), */30 * * * * (every 30 minutes), 0 */2 * * * (every 2 hours at minute 0).

What does the comma operator mean in cron?

The comma (,) specifies a list of discrete values. For example, 'MON,WED,FRI' in the day-of-week field means Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. In the minute field, '0,15,30,45' means at minutes 0, 15, 30, and 45 of each hour. You can combine commas with ranges: '1-5,10,15' means days 1 through 5, plus day 10 and day 15.

Can this parser handle special cron strings like @daily or @weekly?

Currently, our parser expects standard 5 or 6-field numeric expressions. Special shorthand strings like @daily, @hourly, @reboot are popular in some cron implementations but are not supported in this version. However, you can easily translate them: @daily = '0 0 * * *', @hourly = '0 * * * *', @weekly = '0 0 * * 0', @monthly = '0 0 1 * *', @yearly = '0 0 1 1 *'.

Why are my cron expressions showing errors?

Common issues include: out-of-range values (minutes must be 0-59, hours 0-23), too few or too many fields (standard is 5 fields), invalid special characters, or typos in month/day names. The parser validates each field and shows specific error messages. Make sure your expression has exactly 5 space-separated fields for standard cron usage.

Does this tool calculate timezones?

Cron expressions are always evaluated in the server's configured timezone, not the user's local timezone. Since this is a client-side tool, we calculate next run times based on your browser's local timezone for convenience. When deploying to a server, remember that the actual execution times depend on the server's timezone setting. Always verify cron schedules against your deployment environment's timezone.

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