Crontab Explainer
Decode any cron expression into plain English and see the next scheduled runs.
minutehourdaymonthweekday
Minute
00Hour
99Day of month
*every dayMonth
*every monthDay of week
1-51-5Next 5 scheduled runs
Mon, Jul 27, 2026, 09:00 AMMon
Tue, Jul 28, 2026, 09:00 AMTue
Wed, Jul 29, 2026, 09:00 AMWed
Thu, Jul 30, 2026, 09:00 AMThu
Fri, Jul 31, 2026, 09:00 AMFri
Cron expression format
| Field | Allowed values | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Minute | 0–59 | 30 = at :30 |
| Hour | 0–23 | 9 = 9am |
| Day of month | 1–31 | 1 = 1st |
| Month | 1–12 | 6 = June |
| Day of week | 0–6 (Sun=0) | 1-5 = Mon–Fri |
Frequently asked questions
What does */5 mean?
The */n syntax means “every n units.” In the minute field, */5 means every 5 minutes (0, 5, 10, 15…). In the hour field, */6 means every 6 hours (0:00, 6:00, 12:00, 18:00).
How do I run a job on weekdays only?
Set the day-of-week field to 1-5 (Monday to Friday). For example, 0 9 * * 1-5 runs at 9:00 AM every weekday. To run on specific days, use a comma-separated list: 1,3,5 for Monday, Wednesday, Friday.
Why do my day-of-month and day-of-week fields conflict?
When both fields are non-*, most cron implementations use OR semantics — the job runs when either condition is met, not when both are. So 0 0 1 * 1 runs on the 1st of every month AND every Monday, not only on Mondays that fall on the 1st.
