Cron Expression Parser
Parse cron expressions into human-readable descriptions.
Every 5 minutes
How to Use
Enter a cron expression (5 or 6 fields) in the input field and the tool will display a plain-English description of the schedule. It also shows the next several execution times so you can verify the schedule is correct. Each field is explained individually with its valid range and meaning.
Common Use Cases
- Understanding inherited cron expressions in legacy crontab files or CI/CD configs
- Verifying that a cron schedule will fire at the expected times before deployment
- Debugging scheduled job timing issues by checking next execution times
- Documenting cron schedules in human-readable form for team wikis or runbooks
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the five fields in a cron expression?
The five fields are: minute (0-59), hour (0-23), day of month (1-31), month (1-12), and day of week (0-6, where 0 is Sunday). Some systems support a sixth field for seconds or years.
What does */5 mean in a cron expression?
The */5 syntax means "every 5 units." In the minute field, */5 means every 5 minutes (0, 5, 10, 15, ...). In the hour field, */5 means every 5 hours (0, 5, 10, 15, 20).
What is the difference between * and ? in cron?
The asterisk (*) means "every value." The question mark (?) is used in some cron implementations (like Quartz) to mean "no specific value" and is only valid in the day-of-month and day-of-week fields.