A cron job is a scheduled task in Unix-like operating systems managed by the cron daemon. It allows developers and system administrators to run scripts, backups, or commands automatically at defined intervals using a compact 5-field syntax expression stored in a crontab file.

How do I read a cron expression?

A standard cron expression contains 5 space-separated fields: Minute (0-59), Hour (0-23), Day of Month (1-31), Month (1-12), and Day of Week (0-6, where 0 is Sunday). Special characters include * for any value, , for lists, - for ranges, and / for step intervals.

Does the tool show execution times in my local timezone?

Yes. The Next 5 Executions panel calculates upcoming run times and displays them in your device's local timezone, so you can confirm exactly when a scheduled script will trigger without manually converting from UTC.

What does the cron expression 0 2 * * * mean?

The expression 0 2 * * * means the job runs at 2:00 AM every day. The first field (0) sets the minute, the second field (2) sets the hour, and the three asterisks mean every day of the month, every month, and every day of the week respectively.

Cron Job Generator and Translator — Build Crontab Expressions, Translate to English and Preview Next Runs

About Cron Jobs

What is Cron?

Cron is the time-based job scheduler built into Linux and Unix systems. It runs in the background and executes commands, scripts, or programs automatically at specified intervals — like every night at 2:00 AM.

The Syntax

A standard crontab expression contains 5 parts separated by spaces. You can use wildcards (* for "every"), lists (1,15), ranges (1-5), and steps (*/5 for "every 5").

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my cron job not running?

The most common issue is timezone confusion. Cron jobs on servers usually run in UTC time, not your local time. Always check your server's timezone with the date command in Linux and adjust your expression accordingly.

Does this tool use a server to calculate dates?

No. Both the English translation and the Next 5 Executions date calculations are handled 100% locally in your browser. It is instantaneous and completely private.