How do I find out when a cron expression like 0 9 * * 1-5 runs?

Type it into the Cron expression field. The tool shows a plain English description and lists the next run times in your local time zone, or in another time zone you pick under Time zone.

Does the cron expression explainer support 6 fields with seconds?

Yes. It accepts standard 5-field cron or 6 fields with a leading seconds field, plus ranges, lists, steps, names like MON and JAN, and macros like @daily.

Why does my cron job run on days I did not expect?

When both day-of-month and day-of-week are set, cron runs the job when either one matches, not both. The tool shows a note when this applies, and its next runs reflect that rule.

Does it support Quartz, Spring or AWS cron syntax?

No. Syntax such as L, W, # or a year field gives an error. Use a standard 5-field expression. @reboot is also rejected because it runs at system start rather than on a schedule.

Why does the tool say my cron schedule never runs?

No date matches it, for example February 30. Check the day-of-month and month fields. Separately, a warning appears if the schedule runs every minute or faster.

Yes. Every tool is free to use, with no account and no credit card. The work runs on your device rather than on our servers, which is what keeps it free to run.

Does it work on mobile?

Yes. It runs in current mobile browsers on iOS and Android, with nothing to install.

⏲️

Free Cron Expression Explainer

Translate any cron expression into plain English and see the next run times. Supports ranges, lists, steps, names, and @macros. Runs in your browser.

Runs in your browserNo sign-up, no pop-upsNo login requiredFree forever

Works offline once loaded

Cron expression

minute

hour

day of month

month

1-5

day of week

This schedule means

At 9:00 AM, Monday through Friday.

Next 0 runsTime zone

💡 Fields are: minute, hour, day-of-month, month, day-of-week. Supports ranges (1-5), lists (1,15), steps (*/15), names (MON, JAN), and macros (@daily). All parsing happens in your browser.

Common uses

Understand a crontab EntryDecode a line from your Linux crontab into plain English.
Check a GitHub Actions ScheduleVerify the cron in your workflow's schedule trigger runs when you expect.
Debug a Cron Job That Won't RunSee whether a cron expression actually matches the times you think it does.
Build a Cron ScheduleExperiment with cron fields until the schedule matches what you need.
Learn Cron SyntaxUnderstand how the five cron fields work by example.

How It Works

Cron expressions like "0 9 * * 1-5" are compact but hard to read. This tool parses the five fields and tells you, in plain English, exactly when the job runs — plus the next few run times.

1
You type a cron expression
Standard 5-field cron (or 6-field with seconds), including ranges, lists, steps, month/day names, and @macros like @daily.
2
Each field is parsed
The minute, hour, day-of-month, month, and day-of-week fields are expanded into the exact set of values they match — in your browser.
3
It's explained in English
The schedule is turned into a readable sentence, with common patterns (weekdays, weekends, "every N minutes") recognised.
4
Next runs are computed
The tool simulates the schedule forward to show the next five run times in your local timezone — respecting cron's day-of-month / day-of-week OR rule.

A pure calculation that runs entirely on your device — nothing is uploaded.

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Free Cron Expression Explainer

Common uses

How It Works

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Frequently Asked Questions