How do I decode a cron job expression?

Enter your cron expression (e.g., '0 9 * * 1-5') into the decoder. The tool will parse each field and show you a human-readable description like 'At 09:00 AM, Monday through Friday'. Cron expressions have 5 fields: minute, hour, day of month, month, and day of week.

What is cron expression syntax?

Cron syntax uses 5 fields separated by spaces: minute (0-59), hour (0-23), day of month (1-31), month (1-12), and day of week (0-6, Sunday=0). Special characters include * (any), - (range), , (list), / (step), and ? (no specific value).

What does '0 0 * * *' mean in cron?

The cron expression '0 0 * * *' means 'At 12:00 AM (midnight) every day'. The first 0 is minute, second 0 is hour, and the asterisks mean every day of month, every month, and every day of week.

How do I schedule a cron job to run every 5 minutes?

Use the expression '*/5 * * * *'. The */5 in the minute field means 'every 5 minutes'. This will run at :00, :05, :10, :15, etc. throughout the day.

Cron Job Decoder - Decode Cron Expressions Online Free

Decode Cron Expression

Minute

Hour

Day of Month

Month

Day of Week

Common Cron Examples

0 0 * * *

Every day at midnight

*/5 * * * *

Every 5 minutes

0 9 * * 1-5

9 AM on weekdays

0 0 1 * *

First day of every month

0 */2 * * *

Every 2 hours

Cron Job Decoder

Decode cron job expressions to understand when scheduled tasks will run. Our cron decoder parses cron syntax and converts it into human-readable descriptions, making it easy to verify your cron schedules.

Cron Expression Format

Cron expressions consist of 5 fields separated by spaces:

minute hour day_of_month month day_of_week

Minute: 0-59
Hour: 0-23 (0 = midnight)
Day of Month: 1-31
Month: 1-12 (or JAN-DEC)
Day of Week: 0-6 (0 = Sunday, or SUN-SAT)

Special Characters

* (asterisk) - Any value (every minute, hour, day, etc.)
, (comma) - List of values (1,15,30 = 1st, 15th, and 30th)
- (hyphen) - Range of values (1-5 = 1 through 5)
/ (slash) - Step values (*/5 = every 5 units)

Common Use Cases

Verify cron job schedules before deployment
Understand existing cron expressions
Debug scheduling issues
Learn cron syntax
Document automated tasks

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⏰ Cron Job Decoder