Pick a preset or type your own cron expression.
Validate, explain, and preview the next run times for any standard cron schedule. Everything runs on your device — nothing is uploaded.
Standard 5-field cron (minute hour day month weekday). Support for 6 or 7 fields with seconds/year — just type them.
Edit any field — the full cron expression updates automatically.
The tool automatically validates and explains the expression as you type.
Four steps, a working schedule.
No manual required — here's the entire flow.
Pick a preset or type
Choose a common schedule like every 5 minutes or daily midnight, or type your own cron expression directly.
Edit the fields
Each part of the expression has a visual field. Edit minute, hour, day, month, or weekday — the expression stays in sync.
Read the explanation
The tool parses the expression, describes it in plain English, and shows the next five run times.
Copy and use
Copy the cron expression into your crontab or scheduler, or download the next-run list for reference.
Built for scheduling, not guessing.
The details that make building and debugging cron schedules faster, without ever leaving your browser.
Runs on your device
Parsing, validating and next-run calculation all happen locally in JavaScript. Your schedules never leave your device.
Plain-English explanations
See exactly what a cron expression means and when it will fire next — no mental parsing required.
Visual field editor
Each field has its own input. Edit any part and the full expression updates automatically.
Questions people actually ask.
The short answers — with the long ones one tap away.
What is a cron expression?+
A cron expression is a string of five or six fields separated by spaces that tells a scheduler when to run a job. The fields represent minute, hour, day of month, month, day of week, and optionally year, using wildcards, ranges, lists and step values.
How do I use this cron generator?+
Pick a preset or enter your own cron expression. The tool validates it, explains it in plain English, and shows the next few run times. Copy the expression into your crontab or scheduler.
Is my cron expression uploaded to a server?+
No. Parsing, validating and next-run calculation all happen locally in your browser using JavaScript. Your data never leaves your device.
What do the five fields in a cron expression mean?+
In order: minute (0–59), hour (0–23), day of month (1–31), month (1–12 or JAN–DEC), and day of week (0–6 or SUN–SAT). Some systems add a sixth field for seconds or a seventh for year.
Can I schedule a job to run every 5 minutes?+
Yes. Use */5 * * * * — the */5 means every 5th minute, and the remaining asterisks mean every hour, every day, every month, every day of the week.
Does this tool support seconds and years?+
Yes. Simply type a 6-field or 7-field expression into the main input and the tool will parse and explain it. The visual editor shows the standard 5-field layout, but the parser handles extended formats.
How do I read a cron expression I found in a config file?+
Paste it into the cron expression box. The tool parses it, shows the schedule in plain English, and lists the next five run times.
Is this cron generator free to use?+
Yes, it's completely free with no account, no sign-up, and no limit on how many times you use it.