Cron Expression Parser
Convert cron expressions to human-readable descriptions. Shows next 5 run times!
⏰ What is Cron Parser?
Cron expressions are time-based syntax used for job scheduling in Unix/Linux systems. They consist of 5 fields (minute, hour, day, month, weekday), and each field can combine numbers, wildcards (*), ranges (-), and lists (,) to express complex schedules. This tool interprets cron expressions in plain English and calculates upcoming execution times to help verify your schedule before deployment.
📋 Cron Expression Structure
| Field | Range | Special | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minute | 0-59 | * , - / | 0, 30, */5 |
| Hour | 0-23 | * , - / | 9, 0-8, */2 |
| Day | 1-31 | * , - / | 1, 15, 1-7 |
| Month | 1-12 | * , - / | 1, 6-8, */3 |
| Weekday | 0-6 | * , - / | 0(Sun), 1-5 |
💡 Common Patterns
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Cron and Crontab?▼
Cron is the scheduling daemon (service), and Crontab is the configuration file where users register cron jobs. Edit it with the "crontab -e" command.
How do I schedule tasks by the second?▼
Standard cron only supports minute-level precision. For second-level scheduling, use extended implementations like node-cron (Node.js) or @Scheduled (Spring). Some support 6 fields including seconds.
How does server timezone affect cron execution?▼
Cron runs based on the system timezone. If your server is set to EST, cron uses EST. In cloud environments, always verify your timezone configuration.