Cron Expression Generator - DigiKitApp

Build a cron expression for scheduled tasks.

When should you use this?

Use this when you'd rather pick the schedule visually than write a cron expression by hand, and get the correct syntax generated for you.

When shouldn't you use this?

This tool doesn't check whether the server's timezone matches what you expect; verify the server's clock separately before using the expression you generate.

Step-by-step

In the Minute field, enter the minute of the hour the job should run, such as 0 or 30. An asterisk (*) means every minute.
Enter a value from 0 to 23 in the Hour field. Midnight is 0 and 3 pm is 15.
Leave Day and Month as asterisks unless you want a specific date.
In Weekday, 0 is Sunday, 1 is Monday and 6 is Saturday. Use 1-5 for weekdays only.
Click Run and copy the five-part expression into your crontab or scheduler.

Example

You want a database backup every Monday at 02:30. Put 30 in Minute, 2 in Hour, asterisks in Day and Month, and 1 in Weekday, and you get 30 2 * * 1. For a health check every 15 minutes, enter */15 in Minute and leave the rest as asterisks. A report on the first of each month at 9 am would be 0 9 1 * *.

How is a cron expression read?

A cron expression describes when scheduled tasks run with five fields (minute, hour, day of month, month, day of week). Each field can hold a number, * (every value), a comma list, a dash range or a /n step. For example 30 2 * * 1 means every Monday at 02:30, and */15 * * * * means every 15 minutes.

What to watch when writing cron

The server's time zone determines the run time; do not confuse local time with UTC.
When day of month and day of week are used together, some systems treat them as “or”, which can give unexpected results.
Some cron implementations (for example cloud schedulers) use an extra seconds field; check the target system's syntax.
Verify the next run times by hand before going live.

Things to keep in mind

If you fill in both Day and Weekday, classic cron runs the job when either one matches. Setting the 13th and Friday doesn't pick only Fridays that fall on the 13th.
Some systems expect six or seven fields instead of five, with seconds added at the front. Check the docs before pasting into a cloud scheduler or a Java-based library.
Picking a date like the 31st means the job simply won't run in shorter months. Plan month-end jobs separately.
Scheduling a slow job too often can make a new run start before the previous one finishes. Time how long the job takes first.

Frequently asked questions

Is the code/data I enter stored anywhere?

No, nothing is sent to a server or stored; processing happens entirely in your browser.

Does it work with large inputs?

Yes, though performance may degrade with very large inputs (several MB or more).

Is this tool free?

Yes, it's completely free for core use and requires no account.