How do I schedule a task to run every 15 minutes?

Use */15 * * * *. The */15 in the minute field means 'every 15 minutes'.

How do I run a task at 2:30 AM every day?

Use 30 2 * * *: minute 30, hour 2, any day of month, any month, any day of week.

How do I run a task on the 1st of every month?

Use 0 0 1 * *. This runs at midnight on the 1st day of every month.

What is the difference between day-of-month and day-of-week?

Day-of-month (field 3) targets a specific date number (e.g. the 15th), while day-of-week (field 5) targets a specific day name (e.g. Monday). If both are set to non-wildcard values, most cron implementations will run when either condition is true.

Cron expression generator

Use the quick-fill buttons to generate common cron schedules, or type your own expression. Each expression is immediately explained in plain English with upcoming run times shown below.

Cron expression

*/15Minute

*Hour

*Day of month

*Month

*Day of week

Quick fill

5-field format: minute · hour · day of month · month · day of week

How it works

The plain-English line comes from the cronstrue library. The next-run list comes from the tool's own parser, which checks each of the five fields against its range (minute 0-59, hour 0-23, day of month 1-31, month 1-12 or JAN-DEC, day of week 0-7 or SUN-SAT), expands lists, ranges and steps, and steps forward through the calendar up to 5 years ahead. When both day fields are restricted, a day matches if either one matches, as in Vixie cron. Run times are shown in your browser's local time zone.

Processing runs in your browser

All parsing and scheduling calculations happen locally in your browser tab. Our servers are not involved at any point.

Related operations

For checking patterns inside log lines or schedules, try the regex tester. To work out the gap between two scheduled runs, use the date calculator. For converting cron timestamps to readable dates, see Unix timestamp.

Frequently asked questions

How do I schedule a task to run every 15 minutes?: Use */15 * * * *. The */15 in the minute field means 'every 15 minutes'.
How do I run a task at 2:30 AM every day?: Use 30 2 * * *: minute 30, hour 2, any day of month, any month, any day of week.
How do I run a task on the 1st of every month?: Use 0 0 1 * *. This runs at midnight on the 1st day of every month.
What is the difference between day-of-month and day-of-week?: Day-of-month (field 3) targets a specific date number (e.g. the 15th), while day-of-week (field 5) targets a specific day name (e.g. Monday). If both are set to non-wildcard values, most cron implementations will run when either condition is true.

Last reviewed September 30, 2026

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