Mr. Encoder

Cron Expression Parser

Explain a cron expression in plain language and preview its next run times in any time zone.

How to use

  1. Type or paste a cron expression, or start from one of the preset chips.
  2. Read the plain-language description and check the field breakdown table.
  3. Choose a time zone to see the next 10 times the job will run.

Frequently asked questions

What do the five cron fields mean?

In order they are minute (0-59), hour (0-23), day of month (1-31), month (1-12) and day of week (0-7, where both 0 and 7 are Sunday). A sixth field, when present, is seconds and comes first.

What happens if I set both day of month and day of week?

Following standard cron behaviour, the job runs when either field matches. For example, 0 0 1 * 1 runs at midnight on the 1st of every month and on every Monday.

Which time zone does cron use?

Classic cron uses the server's local time zone, while many cloud schedulers default to UTC. Pick the same time zone as your scheduler to see accurate next run times, including daylight saving changes.

How do I run a job every 15 minutes?

Use */15 * * * *. The step operator / repeats the value at fixed intervals, so */15 in the minute field matches minutes 0, 15, 30 and 45.

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