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How to use this tool

1. Select Scheduling Frequency

Choose frequency: Every Minute, Hourly, Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Custom.

2. Configure Time Parameters

Set minute (0-59), hour (0-23), day of month (1-31), month (1-12), and day of week (0-6).

3. Choose Target Environment

Toggle standard Linux 5-field syntax or cloud 6-field format with seconds.

4. Copy Expression & Crontab Command

Copy the verified cron expression or complete crontab entry for instant execution.

Formula or logic used

Standard Crontab 5-Field Specification

A standard Linux crontab expression consists of 5 space-separated fields parsed from left to right.

  • Field 1 (Minute): 0-59 (e.g. `*/15` for every 15 minutes).
  • Field 2 (Hour): 0-23 (e.g. `2` for 2:00 AM, `*/2` for every 2 hours).
  • Field 3 (Day of Month): 1-31 (e.g. `1,15` for 1st and 15th of the month).
  • Field 4 (Month): 1-12 or JAN-DEC.
  • Field 5 (Day of Week): 0-6 or SUN-SAT (0 = Sunday).
  • Wildcard `*`: Matches every possible value for that field.
  • Step `/`: Specifies repetition intervals (e.g. `*/5` in minute field means every 5 minutes).

Examples

Example 1: Daily Database Backup at Midnight

Input: Minute: 0, Hour: 0, Every day, Every month, Every weekday.
Calculated Result: 0 0 * * *

Fires once daily at 00:00 (12:00 AM UTC). Standard for automated backups and cache clearing.

Example 2: Every 15 Minutes During Business Hours

Input: Every 15 mins, between 9 AM and 5 PM, Monday through Friday.
Calculated Result: */15 9-17 * * 1-5

Fires every quarter-hour from 09:00 to 17:45 on weekdays only.

Common use cases

Next.js & Vercel Cron Scheduling

Configure `cron: '0 4 * * *'` in `vercel.json` for daily automated database indexing.

GitHub Actions Workflow Automation

Schedule scheduled CI/CD nightly builds and vulnerability dependency scans.

Linux Server Automated Backups

Set up system `crontab -e` entries for rsync, database dumps, and log rotation.

AWS CloudWatch & EventBridge Tasks

Trigger serverless AWS Lambda functions on exact recurring time intervals.

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Frequently asked questions

What do the 5 positions in a standard cron expression mean?

From left to right, the 5 fields represent: 1) Minute (0-59), 2) Hour (0-23), 3) Day of the Month (1-31), 4) Month of the Year (1-12), and 5) Day of the Week (0-6, where 0 is Sunday).

What is the difference between * and */5 in cron?

An asterisk `*` means 'every possible unit' (e.g. `*` in the minute field means every minute). A step expression `*/5` in the minute field means 'every 5th minute' (at minutes 0, 5, 10, 15, etc.).

What timezone do cron jobs run in?

By default, Linux crontabs and cloud schedulers (like GitHub Actions and Vercel Cron) execute in UTC timezone unless explicitly configured with a `CRON_TZ` environment variable.

How do I run a cron job twice a day?

Use commas to specify multiple hours. For example, `0 6,18 * * *` will run twice daily: at 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM.

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