← Back to Tools

CRON Expression Generator

Build cron expressions visually. Copy and paste into Kubernetes CronJobs, Linux crontab, or any scheduler that supports standard cron syntax.

Generator

Result

Copy-ready cron string plus a readable summary.

* * * * * min hr dom mon dow
Summary
Runs every minute.

Field Quick Reference

  • * = every value
  • */5 = every 5 units
  • 1,15 = specific values
  • 1-5 = ranges (inclusive)
  • MON-FRI = weekdays (Linux/Quartz)

How to Use the CRON Generator

  1. Pick a preset: Start with a common schedule (every 5 minutes, hourly, daily).
  2. Fine-tune fields: Adjust minute, hour, day, month, and day-of-week to match your exact timing.
  3. Document timezone: Cron expressions are timezone-agnostic; note the timezone where the job runs.
  4. Copy and paste: Use the cron string in Kubernetes CronJobs, GitHub Actions, or any cron-compatible scheduler.

Examples for Kubernetes CronJobs

📦 Nightly database dump

0 2 * * *

Runs every night at 2:00 AM. Add timeZone in the CronJob spec to avoid surprises during DST.

🚨 Health check pings

*/10 * * * *

Heartbeat every 10 minutes. Keep it lightweight to avoid noisy logs.

🧹 Log retention cleanup

30 1 * * SUN

Cleans up old logs every Sunday at 1:30 AM. Perfect for S3/GCS lifecycle scripts.

📧 Weekly reports

0 8 * * MON

Sends weekly KPIs every Monday at 8:00 AM so teams start the week with fresh data.

Cron Field Cheatsheet

Standard 5-field

minute hour day-of-month month day-of-week

Special symbols

* (any), , (list), - (range), / (step)

Tips for Kubernetes

Always set concurrencyPolicy and failedJobsHistoryLimit.

🔧 Related Dev Tools