What does * * * * * mean in cron?

The expression * * * * * means 'every minute' — it matches every minute of every hour of every day. Each asterisk represents 'any value' for its respective field (minute, hour, day of month, month, day of week).

How do I schedule a cron job for every 5 minutes?

Use */5 * * * * — the */5 in the minute field means 'every 5 minutes'. Similarly, */15 * * * * runs every 15 minutes, and 0 */2 * * * runs every 2 hours at minute 0.

Yes, completely free with no registration required. Use it as many times as you need.

Cron Expression Parser & Builder

Parse cron expressions to human-readable schedules or build cron expressions visually. Everything runs in your browser.

Supports standard 5-field cron format: minute hour day month weekday. Special characters: * (any), , (list), - (range), / (step).

Parse Expression

Build Expression

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Next 10 Runs

Minute

Hour

Day of Month

Month

Day of Week

* * * * *

Every minute

How It Works

This cron parser and builder processes everything in your browser — no data is sent to any server. Enter a cron expression to parse it, or use the visual builder to create one.

Cron Format

A cron expression consists of 5 fields: minute (0-59) hour (0-23) day-of-month (1-31) month (1-12) day-of-week (0-7). Use * for "any", , for lists (1,3,5), - for ranges (1-5), and / for steps (*/5 means every 5).

Parse Mode

Enter any cron expression to see: a human-readable description of the schedule, a visual breakdown of each field, and the next 10 scheduled run times calculated from the current time. Use the preset buttons for common schedules.

Build Mode

Use the dropdown menus to select when the job should run. Choose "Every", "Specific", or "Step" for each field. The cron expression is generated automatically. Copy it and paste into your crontab or scheduler configuration.

Privacy First

All processing runs locally in your browser using JavaScript. No data is sent to any server — there are no requests, no cookies, and no tracking.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is a cron expression?

A: A cron expression is a string of 5 fields that defines a schedule: minute, hour, day of month, month, and day of week. It is used by Linux crontab and many task schedulers to automate recurring jobs.

Q: What does * * * * * mean?

A: It means "every minute" — each asterisk matches any value for its field.

Q: How do I schedule every 5 minutes?

A: Use */5 * * * *. The */5 in the minute field means "every 5 minutes".

Q: Is my data stored on the server?

A: No. All parsing and building happens directly in your browser using JavaScript.

Q: What cron format is supported?

A: Standard 5-field cron: minute, hour, day of month, month, day of week. Supports *, comma, dash, and slash operators.

Q: What is the difference between 0 and 7 for day of week?

A: Both 0 and 7 represent Sunday. Days: 0=Sunday, 1=Monday, ... 6=Saturday, 7=Sunday.

Q: Can I build a cron expression visually?

A: Yes. Use the Build tab to select values for each field using dropdowns. The expression is generated automatically.

Q: Is this tool free?

A: Yes, completely free with no registration required.