Guide
Cron expression generator (with next run times)
Cron syntax is compact but easy to misread—especially day-of-week vs day-of-month. Generate schedules, validate expressions, and preview the next handful of run times in your timezone before you paste into crontab, GitHub Actions, or cloud schedulers.
Cron fields (quick reference)
Five-part cron: minute hour day-of-month month day-of-week. Example: 0 9 * * 1-5 = 09:00 on weekdays. Use ? in some engines for 'no specific value' when the other day field is set—check your platform docs.
Copy-paste cron examples
Every day at midnight: 0 0 * * *\nEvery 15 minutes: */15 * * * *\nWeekdays 9am: 0 9 * * 1-5\nFirst of month: 0 8 1 * *\nSunday only: 0 12 * * 0\nEvery 6 hours: 0 */6 * * *\nQuarter past hour: 15 * * * *
Generator vs parser workflow
Start from plain English intent ('hourly on weekdays'), generate a candidate expression, then read the next run list. If a run lands on a holiday you did not expect, check whether the scheduler uses UTC or local time.
Platform differences
AWS EventBridge, Kubernetes, GitHub Actions, and classic crontab differ on seconds field, naming, and daylight-saving behavior. Always verify next runs in the target environment—not only in a generic parser.
Who this guide is for
DevOps and backend engineers scheduling crontab, GitHub Actions, or cloud rules who need next-run confirmation.
FAQ
Does cron use UTC or local time?
Depends on the scheduler—crontab on Linux often uses server local time; many cloud schedulers default to UTC. Confirm in docs.
What is the difference between cron parser and generator?
Parser explains an existing expression; generator helps you build one from schedule intent. This guide links to a tool that does both.
Is my schedule sent to a server?
No—Toolminator evaluates cron locally in the browser.
Why did my job run twice on DST day?
Local-time cron can skip or repeat hours when clocks change—prefer UTC for critical jobs.
Related guides
Suggested tools
Free tools that pair with this workflow—same recommendations as on tool pages.