Cron Explainer
Decode a cron expression into plain English and see its next runs.
minute · hour · day-of-month · month · day-of-week — or @daily, @hourly, @weekly…
How to use
Paste a standard 5-field cron expression (minute hour day-of-month month day-of-week). The explanation, field breakdown, and next run times appear instantly.
About this tool
Paste a 5-field cron expression and get a plain-English description, a field-by-field breakdown, and the next several times it will run (in your local time). It handles ranges, steps, lists, and the day-of-month / day-of-week rule. Runs entirely in your browser.
What you can use Cron Explainer for
- Confirm what a cron job in your CI or crontab does
- Preview the next times a schedule will fire
- Avoid the day-of-month vs day-of-week gotcha
- Explain a cron schedule to a teammate
Frequently asked questions
What cron format does it accept?
Standard 5-field cron: minute, hour, day-of-month, month, day-of-week. Ranges (1-5), steps (*/15), and lists (1,15,30) are supported, plus @daily / @hourly style shortcuts.
Which time zone are the next runs in?
The predicted next run times are shown in your browser's local time zone.
How does the day-of-week rule work?
When both day-of-month and day-of-week are restricted, a run happens when either matches — the standard cron OR behavior, which the tool applies.