Cron Expression Parser

Our cron expression parser translates cron schedules into plain English and calculates upcoming execution times. Paste any cron expression and instantly see what it means, when it will run next, and whether the syntax is valid. Supports standard 5-field crontab format (minute, hour, day, month, weekday), extended 6-field format with seconds, and common presets like @daily, @hourly, @weekly. All processing happens in your browser.

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Presets:
*/5 * * * *
MIN HOUR DOM MON DOW
0-59 0-23 1-31 1-12 0-6
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Human Readable
Every 5 minutes

Field Breakdown

Next 10 Execution Times

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Cron Analysis:

  • Expression: */5 * * * *
  • Schedule: Every 5 minutes

Tip: Use crontab -l to list your current cron jobs.

lightbulb Tips

  • */5 = every 5, using the step operator
  • 0 = Sunday, 1 = Monday ... 6 = Saturday
  • @daily, @hourly, @weekly are handy shortcuts
  • Always test cron before deploying

How to Use This Calculator

edit

Enter Expression

Type or paste a cron expression (5 or 6 fields). Use presets for common schedules.

translate

Read Description

See the human-readable translation of what your cron expression does.

schedule

Check Next Runs

View the next 10 execution times to verify your schedule is correct.

build

Build Expression

Use the interactive builder to create a new cron expression from scratch.

The Formula

A cron expression is a schedule definition using 5 space-separated fields: minute (0-59), hour (0-23), day of month (1-31), month (1-12), and day of week (0-6, where 0=Sunday). Each field can use wildcards (*), ranges (1-5), lists (1,3,5), and step values (*/5). Some systems support a 6th field (seconds) at the beginning.

┌───────────── minute (0-59) │ ┌───────────── hour (0-23) │ │ ┌───────────── day of month (1-31) │ │ │ ┌───────────── month (1-12) │ │ │ │ ┌───────────── day of week (0-6, Sun=0) * * * * *

lightbulb Variables Explained

  • * Any value (wildcard)
  • , Value list separator (e.g., 1,3,5)
  • - Range of values (e.g., 1-5)
  • / Step values (e.g., */5 = every 5)

tips_and_updates Pro Tips

1

*/5 * * * * means every 5 minutes — the / is the step operator

2

0 0 * * 0 runs at midnight every Sunday (day 0 = Sunday in most systems)

3

Use @daily, @hourly, @weekly, @monthly as shortcuts for common schedules

4

Day of week: 0=Sun, 1=Mon, 2=Tue, 3=Wed, 4=Thu, 5=Fri, 6=Sat

5

Both day-of-month and day-of-week can't be specific simultaneously in standard cron

6

Month names (JAN-DEC) and day names (SUN-SAT) work in many cron implementations

7

Always test cron expressions before deploying — off-by-one errors are common

Parse & Understand Cron Expressions Online

Our free cron expression parser translates cron schedules into human-readable text and shows upcoming execution times. Validate cron syntax, understand each field, and verify your schedules before deploying. Supports standard 5-field and extended 6-field cron formats.

Cron Expression Parser - Translate Cron to English

Paste any cron expression and instantly see what it means in plain English. Our parser breaks down each field (minute, hour, day, month, weekday) and explains the schedule. Supports wildcards (*), ranges (1-5), lists (1,3,5), steps (*/5), and named values (MON-FRI, JAN-DEC).

Cron Schedule Calculator - Next Run Times

See exactly when your cron job will execute next. Our calculator shows the next 10 run times with dates and timestamps, so you can verify your schedule is correct before deploying to production. Never deploy a wrong cron schedule again.

Frequently Asked Questions

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All formulas verified against official standards.