~/tools / Cron Generator
Cron Generator
Build a cron expression from minute/hour/day/month/weekday fields, or get a plain-English explanation of an existing one.
A cron expression like "0 9 * * 1-5" is compact but easy to get wrong. Build one from a form and see it explained, or paste in someone else's cron expression to check what it actually does.
# Use Cases
- Getting a cron expression exactly right for a scheduled batch job or CI/CD pipeline
- Checking exactly when someone else's crontab or GitHub Actions schedule actually fires
- Figuring out how to express something like "weekdays at 9am" as a cron expression
# Usage
- Fill in minute/hour/day/month/weekday above — the cron expression and its explanation update automatically.
- To decode an existing cron expression, paste it into the box below and read the explanation.
Build a cron expression
0 9 * * 1-5
Runs on Mon–Fri, at hour 9, at minute 0
Explain a cron expression
Runs every hour, at minute every 15 minutes
# FAQ
- What order are the fields in?
- minute hour day month weekday (5 fields). Some systems use a 6-field variant with seconds, but this tool follows the standard 5-field format.
- Does it support lists, ranges, and steps?
- Yes — comma-separated lists (e.g. 1,15), hyphen ranges (e.g. 1-5), and */n step values are all supported. Complex combinations may produce a simplified explanation.
# Related
# Learn more on our sister sites
- Learn Linux commands
Try the commands in a simulated terminal — prodou.net
- Learn shell scripting
Shell scripting from the ground up — prodou.net