Cron to Human Readable
Cron Expression Translator
Paste a cron expression from your Linux crontab to get a plain English explanation of the schedule.
Human Readable
At 09:00 AM, Monday through Friday
Next Scheduled Runs
- Loading...
Common Cron Job Examples
Click any Linux cronjob example to load it into the translator and see its schedule.
Every Interval
* * * * *
Every minute
*/5 * * * *
Every 5 minutes
*/15 * * * *
Every 15 minutes
0 * * * *
Every hour
0 */2 * * *
Every 2 hours
Daily
0 0 * * *
Midnight
0 6 * * *
6:00 AM
0 9 * * *
9:00 AM
0 12 * * *
Noon
0 18 * * *
6:00 PM
Weekly
0 9 * * 1-5
Weekdays at 9 AM
0 9 * * 1
Mondays at 9 AM
0 0 * * 0
Sundays at midnight
0 9 * * 6,0
Weekends at 9 AM
Monthly/Yearly
0 0 1 * *
First of month
0 0 15 * *
15th of month
0 0 1 1 *
New Year's Day
0 0 25 12 *
Christmas
Linux Cron Syntax Reference
The standard crontab format used in all Linux distributions.
┌───────────── minute (0 - 59) │ ┌───────────── hour (0 - 23) │ │ ┌───────────── day of month (1 - 31) │ │ │ ┌───────────── month (1 - 12) │ │ │ │ ┌───────────── day of week (0 - 6) (Sunday = 0) │ │ │ │ │ * * * * * command to execute
| Symbol | Meaning | Cron Job Example |
|---|---|---|
* | Any value | * * * * * = every minute |
, | List separator | 1,15 * * * * = minute 1 and 15 |
- | Range | * 9-17 * * * = 9 AM to 5 PM |
/ | Step values | */10 * * * * = every 10 minutes |
Essential Cron Commands
crontab -e | Edit your crontab file |
crontab -l | List all cron jobs |
crontab -r | Remove all cron jobs |
How to Use This Tool
- Enter a Cron Expression: Paste any cron expression from your Linux crontab. Use the standard 5-field format: minute hour day-of-month month day-of-week. Examples: "0 9 * * 1-5" for weekday mornings, "*/15 * * * *" for every 15 minutes.
- Click Translate: The tool parses your Linux cronjob expression and generates a plain English description. Complex schedules like "0 0 1,15 * *" become "At midnight on the 1st and 15th of every month."
- Review Next Scheduled Runs: See the next 5 execution times based on your current timezone, helping verify the schedule matches your expectations before adding to crontab.
- Use Cron Job Examples: Click any example in the quick reference to load it instantly. Great for learning cron syntax or finding starting points for your own Linux cronjobs.
Technical Details
Linux cronjobs use a 5-field cron expression: minute (0-59), hour (0-23), day of month (1-31), month (1-12 or JAN-DEC), and day of week (0-7, where 0 and 7 are Sunday, or SUN-SAT). Special characters include: * (any value), , (list separator), - (range), / (step values).
The expression "*/15 9-17 * * 1-5" translates to "every 15 minutes from 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday." This translator handles standard Unix cron format used in Linux crontab files. For extended formats with seconds (6 fields) used in some systems like Quartz or Spring, only the last 5 fields will be parsed.
Common cron commands: Edit your crontab with crontab -e, list entries with crontab -l. Linux cron expressions execute in the server's configured timezone—check with timedatectl or date.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Day-of-Week Confusion in Linux Cron: Standard Linux cron uses 0=Sunday through 6=Saturday. Both 0 and 7 represent Sunday. The expression "0 9 * * 0" runs Sunday at 9 AM—verify your platform's convention.
- OR Logic Between Day Fields: When both day-of-month and day-of-week are specified (not *), Linux cron uses OR logic. "0 9 15 * 1" runs on the 15th AND on all Mondays, not just Monday the 15th.
- Timezone Misunderstanding: Linux cronjobs run in the server's timezone, not necessarily UTC. A "0 9 * * *" job on an EST server runs at 9 AM EST (2 PM UTC in winter). Check your server's timezone before scheduling.
Related Tools
Need to build a cron expression from scratch? Use our Cron Generator with its visual schedule builder and cron job examples. For timestamp conversions when debugging scheduled jobs, try the Unix Timestamp Converter.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does */15 mean in a cron expression?
The /15 is a step value meaning "every 15 units." In the minute field, */15 means minutes 0, 15, 30, and 45—running every 15 minutes. This is one of the most common cron job examples for frequent task execution.
How do I read a cron expression?
Read the 5 fields left to right as minute, hour, day-of-month, month, day-of-week. For example, "30 4 * * 0" means "at minute 30, hour 4, every day of month, every month, on Sunday"—or simply "4:30 AM every Sunday."
How do I schedule a cron job for the last day of every month?
Standard Linux cron can't directly express "last day of month" since months have different lengths. Workarounds include using day 28-31 with a script that checks if tomorrow is the 1st, or using cron extensions that support 'L' for last day.
Can cron run more frequently than once per minute?
Standard Linux cron's smallest unit is one minute—you cannot schedule sub-minute intervals. For more frequent execution, use a different scheduler, or have your minute-scheduled cron job internally loop with sleep() calls.
What cron commands do I use to manage Linux cronjobs?
Use 'crontab -e' to edit your crontab, 'crontab -l' to list all cron jobs, 'crontab -r' to remove all jobs (careful!), and 'crontab -u username -e' to edit another user's crontab as root.