What is Cron Expression Parser?
Cron Expression Parser takes any cron expression, validates it, translates it into plain English, and shows the next 10 scheduled run times. Stop mentally parsing 0 9 * * 1-5 — paste it in and instantly see “Every weekday at 9:00 AM.”
Cron is the universal scheduling language — it runs behind GitHub Actions, AWS Lambda EventBridge, Kubernetes CronJobs, and almost every Linux task scheduler. Understanding it unlocks automation everywhere.
The Five (or Six) Cron Fields
Minute (0–59)
When in the hour the job runs. '0' = on the hour, '30' = half past, '*/15' = every 15 minutes.
Hour (0–23)
24-hour clock. '9' = 9 AM, '17' = 5 PM, '*/2' = every 2 hours.
Day of Month (1–31)
Which day of the month. '1' = 1st, '15' = 15th, '*' = every day.
Month (1–12)
Which month. '1' = January, '12' = December, '*/3' = quarterly.
Day of Week (0–6)
0 = Sunday, 1 = Monday … 6 = Saturday. '1-5' = weekdays, '6,0' = weekends.
How to Use Cron Expression Parser
Enter the expression
Paste or type your cron expression in the input field (e.g. '0 9 * * 1-5').
See validation
The parser instantly flags invalid fields and shows the specific error.
Read the plain English
The human-readable description appears below the input (e.g. 'Every weekday at 9:00 AM').
Check next run times
Scroll down to see the next 10 timestamps when the job will fire.
Common Cron Expressions
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
* * * * * | Every minute |
0 * * * * | Every hour, on the hour |
0 9 * * 1-5 | 9 AM every weekday |
0 0 * * * | Daily at midnight |
0 0 1 * * | 1st of every month at midnight |
*/15 * * * * | Every 15 minutes |
0 9,17 * * 1-5 | 9 AM and 5 PM on weekdays |
0 0 * * 0 | Every Sunday at midnight |
Tips & Common Mistakes
Always paste into the parser before deploying. It takes 5 seconds and saves you from a midnight “why did this run 60 times?” incident.
Day-of-month and day-of-week interact oddly. When both fields are set (not *), most cron implementations fire if EITHER condition matches — not both. Use * in one field to avoid surprises.
Timezones bite everyone. Cron servers almost always run in UTC. Write your expressions in UTC and convert to your local time only for documentation.
Related Tools
- Epoch Converter — convert UTC timestamps to local time
- Timezone Converter — find UTC offset for your region
- Date Difference — calculate intervals between dates