How to Read a Cron Expression
Cron expressions schedule recurring jobs with five fields. Learn what each field means, how to read the symbols, and common examples explained.
Cron expressions schedule recurring tasks on Unix systems, CI pipelines, and cloud schedulers. They look cryptic but follow a simple five-field structure.
The five fields
* * * * *
│ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ └─ day of week (0–6, Sun=0)
│ │ │ └─── month (1–12)
│ │ └───── day of month (1–31)
│ └─────── hour (0–23)
└───────── minute (0–59)
Each field says when in that unit the job runs.
The symbols
| Symbol | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
* | every value | * in hour = every hour |
, | list | 1,15 = at 1 and 15 |
- | range | 1-5 = 1 through 5 |
/ | step | */15 = every 15 |
Reading examples
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
* * * * * | every minute |
0 * * * * | every hour, on the hour |
0 9 * * * | every day at 9:00 AM |
*/15 * * * * | every 15 minutes |
0 9 * * 1 | every Monday at 9:00 AM |
0 0 1 * * | midnight on the 1st of each month |
A method for reading
Go field by field, left to right: minute, hour, day-of-month, month, day-of-week. Translate each, then combine. 30 8 * * 1-5 = "at 8:30, every weekday."
Try it
Paste any cron expression into the cron expression tool to get a plain-English description instantly.
Got a file to check?
Paste it in. Errors come back in plain English.