Cron Expressions Explained: The Five Fields in Plain English
Cron schedules look cryptic until you read them field by field. This guide explains minute, hour, day, month and weekday with examples.
What is the Cron Expression Builder?
A cron expression is five fields — minute, hour, day of month, month and day of week — that together describe when a job should run. This tool joins your five fields into the standard expression and adds a plain-English description for the common patterns it recognises. It describes the schedule only; it does not run or schedule anything itself.
How to use it
- Fill in the five fields, using * for any value.
- Click Build cron expression.
- Copy the expression and check the plain-English description.
Worked example
The sample fields build the expression 0 9 * * 1-5, described as running at 09:00, Monday to Friday.
What does 0 9 * * 1-5 mean?
At 09:00, Monday to Friday: minute 0, hour 9, any day of the month, any month, weekdays 1 to 5.
Frequently asked questions
What does * mean in a cron field?
It means every value for that field, so * in the hour field means the job runs in every hour that the other fields allow.
Does this tool schedule my job?
No. It only builds and explains the expression; you still need to add it to your own scheduler.