Free Online
Cron Expression
Generator
Build, validate and decode cron expressions instantly. Free online cron expression generator for Linux crontab, Quartz, AWS EventBridge, Kubernetes, Spring Boot and Jenkins - with real-time preview and plain-English explanations.
Quick presets
* * * * *
Runs every minute
Same schedule in other formats
What Is a Cron Expression?
A cron expression is a string of five (or six) fields that defines a recurring schedule for a cron job. Cron jobs are automated tasks that run at specified intervals on Linux servers, cloud platforms and application frameworks.
Each field in a cron expression represents a unit of time: minute, hour, day of month, month
and day of week. Special characters like *, /, - and
, allow flexible scheduling patterns.
Use the cron expression generator above to build your schedule visually,
then copy it directly into your crontab, AWS EventBridge rule, Kubernetes CronJob manifest
or Spring Boot @Scheduled annotation.
* * * * *
Supported Platforms & Formats
Generate cron expressions for every major platform. Each format has its own syntax quirks. Our cron generator handles them all.
Linux / Unix Crontab
5 fields
The standard cron format used by crontab on Linux, Ubuntu, Debian,
CentOS and macOS. Five fields: minute, hour, day, month, weekday.
0 9 * * 1-5
Weekdays at 9:00 AM
Quartz Scheduler (Java)
6–7 fields
Used by Quartz Scheduler and Spring Boot @Scheduled. Adds a
seconds field and supports advanced operators like L and W.
0 0 9 ? * MON-FRI
Weekdays at 9:00 AM
AWS EventBridge
6 fields
AWS uses a six-field cron format for EventBridge (CloudWatch Events) rules,
with a mandatory year field and ? for day/weekday conflicts.
0 9 ? * MON-FRI *
Weekdays at 9:00 AM
Kubernetes CronJob
5 fieldsKubernetes uses standard Unix cron syntax for CronJob resources in your cluster manifests. Identical to Linux crontab format.
0 9 * * 1-5
Weekdays at 9:00 AM
Spring Boot
6 fields
Spring Framework @Scheduled(cron = "...") uses a six-field format
with seconds as the first field, following the Quartz convention.
0 0 9 * * MON-FRI
Weekdays at 9:00 AM
GitHub Actions
5 fields
GitHub Actions schedule trigger uses standard cron syntax.
All times are in UTC. Minimum interval is every 5 minutes.
0 9 * * 1-5
Weekdays at 9:00 AM UTC
Popular Cron Expression Examples
The most common cron job schedules, ready to copy.
* * * * *
*/5 * * * *
0 * * * *
0 0 * * *
0 9 * * 1-5
0 0 1 * *
0 0 * * 0
*/15 * * * *
0 12 * * *
Cron Special Characters
Full referenceSpecial characters control how each cron field is evaluated.
| Char | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
* |
Any value | * * * * * |
, |
Value list | 1,15 * * * * |
- |
Range | 0 9-17 * * * |
/ |
Step | */5 * * * * |
? |
No specific value (Quartz/AWS) | 0 0 ? * MON |
L |
Last (Quartz only) | 0 0 L * ? |
W |
Nearest weekday (Quartz only) | 0 0 15W * ? |
# |
Nth weekday (Quartz only) | 0 0 ? * 2#1 |
Linux vs Quartz vs AWS
Full comparisonKey differences between the most common cron formats.
| Feature | Linux | Quartz | AWS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fields | 5 | 6-7 | 6 |
| Seconds field | |||
| Year field | Optional | ||
| L / W support | |||
| Timezone | Server | App | UTC |
| ? operator |
Built by Developers, for Developers
Cron Generator is a free set of cron expression tools built and maintained by Space Bits S.L., a software development company based in Manresa, Barcelona, Spain. The project is developed by Ferran Sarrió.
All tools run entirely in your browser. No data is sent to our servers, no account required, and no time limits. We believe essential developer tools should be free.
Found a bug or want to suggest a feature? Get in touch.
Last updated: June 2026 • Version 1.0.0
What Is a Cron Expression?
A cron expression is a string of five or six fields that defines a recurring schedule for automated tasks. Each field represents a unit of time - minute, hour, day of month, month and day of week. For example, 0 9 * * 1-5 means "every weekday at 9:00 AM".
Different platforms use different variants: Linux crontab uses 5 fields, Quartz and Spring Boot use 6 fields (adding seconds), and AWS EventBridge uses 6 fields with a mandatory year. This generator handles all of them.
0 9 * * 1-5
0 0 9 ? * MON-FRI
0 9 ? * MON-FRI *
H 9 * * 1-5