The cron expression builder helps you create, validate, and understand cron job schedules using an intuitive visual interface. Select the frequency and timing, and the tool generates the correct cron expression — no memorizing the * * * * * syntax needed.

Use it for Linux cron jobs, GitHub Actions schedules, AWS EventBridge rules, Kubernetes CronJobs, Vercel cron functions, or any scheduler that uses standard cron syntax.

Cron expression format

A standard cron expression has 5 fields: minute hour day-of-month month day-of-week. Each field accepts specific values, wildcards (*), ranges (1-5), lists (1,3,5), and step values (*/15).

0 * * * * — every hour on the hour
0 9 * * 1-5 — weekdays at 9:00 AM
*/15 * * * * — every 15 minutes
0 0 1 * * — first day of every month at midnight

FAQ

What timezone does cron use?

By default, cron runs in the server's local timezone (usually UTC on cloud servers). Always confirm the timezone with your scheduler — GitHub Actions, for example, uses UTC.

What is the difference between cron and crontab?

cron is the daemon (background process) that executes scheduled tasks. crontab is the file (or command) where you define those scheduled tasks.

Does AWS/Kubernetes use the same cron syntax?

Almost — AWS EventBridge adds a 6th field for year, and uses ? instead of * for day fields. Kubernetes CronJobs follow standard 5-field cron syntax.