Cron Parser

Cron Expression Parser

The Cron Parser reads a standard five-field cron expression (minute, hour, day-of-month, month, day-of-week), explains the schedule in plain language, and previews the upcoming run times. Enter 0 9 * * 1-5, for example, and you'll see it means 'weekdays at 9:00 AM' along with the next five times it will fire.

It parses * (all values), numbers, a-b ranges, */n steps, a-b/n, comma-separated lists, and even three-letter month and weekday names (jan, mon, and so on). Next run times are computed in your local time zone, and if an expression is malformed, a specific error message tells you which field is wrong and why.

Common presets — every minute, top of every hour, daily at 09:00, weekdays at 09:00, every 15 minutes, midnight on the 1st, and midnight every Sunday — are one click away, so you don't have to memorize cron syntax to get started. All parsing and time calculation happen in your browser, and the expression is never sent to a server.

How to use

1. Type five space-separated fields in the order minute, hour, day-of-month, month, day-of-week. For example, daily at 9:00 AM is 0 9 * * *.
2. If the syntax is unclear, click a preset button (such as Weekdays 09:00 or Every 15 min) to fill in an expression, then tweak only the parts you need.
3. As you type, the tool shows the expression's meaning and the next five run times in your local time zone. If there's an error, it points to the offending field and the reason.

Frequently asked questions

How many fields does the cron format support?

It supports the standard five-field format (minute, hour, day-of-month, month, day-of-week). Six-field formats with a seconds field or formats with a year field are not supported.

What happens when I set both day-of-month and day-of-week?

It follows the standard cron rule. When both fields are restricted, the job runs if either one matches (OR). When only one field is restricted, only that condition applies.

Which time zone are the next run times in?

They are computed in your browser's local time zone, so the displayed times reflect your system's time zone.

Can I use three-letter names for months and weekdays?

Yes. Weekday abbreviations like mon and tue and month abbreviations like jan and feb are recognized. In the day-of-week field, both 7 and 0 are treated as Sunday.

It says there are no upcoming run times.

For an impossible combination — say, February 30th — no run time exists within the four-year lookahead, so it shows none. Double-check your field combination.