Cron Expression Parser
Parse a 5-field cron expression into plain English, validate every field, and preview the next scheduled run times. All offline — supports *, ranges, steps and lists.
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Syntax reference
Five fields: minute (0–59) hour (0–23) day-of-month (1–31) month (1–12, JAN..DEC) weekday (0–7, 0 and 7 = SUN). Each field accepts * (any), a-b ranges, a,b,c lists, and */n steps (including a-b/n). The day/week combination follows standard cron semantics: if both day-of-month and weekday are restricted, a match on either one schedules the job.
How to use Cron Expression Parser
Type a standard 5-field expression — minute, hour, day of month, month, day of week — and the parser explains it in plain language, lists the next execution times and highlights impossible or contradictory fields. Shorthands like @daily, step syntax and ranges are supported, so you can paste straight from crontab.
The panel answers the two questions behind most cron incidents: which days fire when both day-of-month and day-of-week are restricted (either one, per Vixie cron), and which time zone the schedule is evaluated in. Confirm the preview times before deploying the expression to a server.
Frequently asked questions
What cron syntax does this parser support?
The standard 5-field expression — minute, hour, day of month, month, day of week — plus shorthand tokens such as @daily, @hourly and @weekly. Steps (*/5), ranges (1-10) and lists are all supported.
Which day field wins when both are set?
In standard Vixie cron, when both day-of-month and day-of-week are restricted, the job runs on days matching either one. The parser explains this rule and previews the resulting schedule.
What time zone is used?
Your local browser time zone, which is shown while typing. Cron daemons use the server time zone, so compare carefully when moving a schedule between systems or containers.
Can I see the upcoming run times?
Yes. The tool lists the next execution times and a plain-language description, so you can confirm the pattern before pasting it into crontab or a scheduler.