Cron Expression Generator and Parser
Build, parse and validate cron expressions for Unix, GitHub Actions, Vercel, Quartz and AWS EventBridge. See plain-language descriptions and the next run times. In your browser.
Five fields: minute hour day-of-month month day-of-week.
Every 5 minutes
*/5 * * * *
name: scheduled
on:
schedule:
- cron: '*/5 * * * *' # times are UTC
jobs:
run:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- run: echo "scheduled task"{
"crons": [
{
"path": "/api/cron",
"schedule": "*/5 * * * *"
}
]
}import cron from 'node-cron';
cron.schedule('*/5 * * * *', () => {
// your task here
});aws events put-rule \ --name "scheduled-task" \ --schedule-expression "cron(*/5 * * * ? *)"
What this tool does
Paste a cron expression to read it in plain English and see the next run times, or build one with presets and the guided fields. Cron Manager goes past a single Standard Unix reading: it knows GitHub Actions, Vercel, Quartz and AWS EventBridge, and it warns you when the same five fields would mean something different in another runtime. Next runs are shown in the timezone you pick, paired with UTC, so you always know when a job really fires. Everything runs in your browser.
What you can use it for
- Read what an expression like 0 0 * * * actually does before you trust it in production.
- Check the next runs for a GitHub Actions or Vercel schedule in UTC and your local time, since both always run in UTC.
- Catch the every-minute mistake and other run-too-often schedules before they flood a job queue.
- See when a standard expression with both a day of month and a day of week runs, because it fires when either matches, not both.
- Copy a ready GitHub Actions, vercel.json or Node cron snippet instead of just the raw expression.
- Describe an AWS EventBridge or Quartz expression and learn where this tool stops short of computing runs it cannot verify.
How to use it
- Paste or type a cron expression, or pick a preset to start.
- Choose the dialect that matches where the job runs: Standard Unix, GitHub Actions, Vercel, Quartz or AWS EventBridge.
- Set your timezone to see the next runs in local time next to UTC.
- Use the builder tabs to adjust the interval, time, weekdays or month without editing the raw fields.
- Read the plain-language description and the warnings, then copy the expression or a deployment snippet.
Everything runs inside your browser. No file is uploaded to any server. See more tools in this field.
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Frequently asked questions
Is cron UTC or local time?
It depends on where the job runs. Standard Unix cron uses the server timezone, so this tool shows the next runs in the timezone you pick next to UTC. GitHub Actions and Vercel always run in UTC, and AWS EventBridge runs in UTC too, so for those the HH:MM you write is UTC, not local. That is why every run here is shown with both times.
Is Sunday 0 or 7 in a cron expression?
In standard Unix cron, Sunday can be written as 0 or 7, and both work. Quartz is different: it numbers days 1 to 7 with Sunday as 1, so the same digit can land on a different day when you move an expression between runtimes. The plain-language description always names the actual weekday, so there is no guessing.
What is the difference between standard cron and Quartz?
Standard cron uses five fields and has no seconds. Quartz uses six or seven fields, adds a seconds field and an optional year, and supports special characters like ?, L and #. Because of that, a Quartz expression read as standard cron would shift every run, so this tool refuses to read one as the other and asks you to pick the right dialect. Six-field Quartz with ?, L and # is supported here; seven-field-with-year and the W token are described but not computed yet.
Will my schedule break on daylight saving changes?
It can. When the clocks move, a spring-forward can skip a daily run that falls in the missing hour, and a fall-back can run it twice. When the next runs cross a daylight saving change, this tool flags the affected runs instead of silently dropping or doubling them, so you can see exactly what will happen.