Type a cron expression (for example */5 * * * * for every 5 minutes) to see plain-English meaning and the next five run times — all calculated in your browser, not uploaded to our servers for processing.
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Quick answer
TryDevSnip Cron Helper explains 5-field cron in plain English, previews the next five runs in your selected timezone and UTC side-by-side, and offers crontab / GitHub / Vercel / K8s snippets. Expressions are not uploaded; share links use ?expr= only.
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Recent expressions (saved on this device)
Saved cron jobs (this device)
In plain English
—
Next 5 · local
Next 5 · UTC
Paste into your platform
crontab
GitHub Actions (UTC)
Vercel (vercel.json crons)
Kubernetes CronJob
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How do I read a cron expression?
Cron expressions are compact and easy to misread under pressure. A leading * in the wrong field can mean “every minute” when you meant “every day.” This helper turns the five fields into an English sentence and lists upcoming fire times so you can sanity-check before deploying.
Use presets for common ops schedules, or the builder dropdowns when you think in “weekdays at nine” rather than in asterisks. Everything runs locally — schedule drafts with secrets in nearby comments stay on your machine.
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Frequently asked questions
Which cron format do you use?
Standard 5-field cron: minute, hour, day-of-month, month, day-of-week. (Not the optional seconds field used by some libraries.)
Are next run times in my local timezone?
Next runs are shown side-by-side: once in the timezone you select (defaults to your browser zone) and once in UTC. Server cron may still use a different host TZ — compare before changing production.
What platform snippets are included?
Tabs for classic crontab, GitHub Actions schedule, Vercel crons (vercel.json), and Kubernetes CronJob YAML. Snippets update from your expression locally.
What does “L” or “?” mean?
Some engines support extensions. Stick to *, ranges, lists, and steps for maximum portability across Linux cron, GitHub Actions, and cloud schedulers.
Is my expression uploaded?
No. Explanation and next-run previews are computed client-side with cronstrue and cron-parser. Share links only put ?expr= in the URL — never secrets.
Why don’t my next runs match production?
Server cron often runs in UTC while your laptop uses local time. Use the timezone selector and UTC column to compare before changing production schedules.
Can I build from plain English?
Yes — pick a phrase like “every N minutes” or “weekdays at hour H” in the English builder, then apply it to the expression box.
Can I use presets?
Yes — every 5 minutes, nightly at 2am, Mondays at 9am, and a few other common patterns fill the expression box for you.
What is the crontab expression for every 5 minutes?
*/5 * * * * — runs at minute 0, 5, 10, 15, and so on, every hour, every day.
What cron expression runs at midnight?
0 0 * * * runs once a day at 00:00. Add a specific timezone in mind — server cron usually runs in UTC, not your local midnight.
What cron expression runs every hour?
0 * * * * runs at the top of every hour. For every 2 hours, use 0 */2 * * *.
What cron expression runs once a month?
0 0 1 * * runs at midnight on the 1st of every month. Change the "1" to any day-of-month you need.
What cron expression runs twice a day?
0 0,12 * * * runs at midnight and noon. Swap the hours for whatever two times you need, comma-separated.
