Cron Expression Parser — Free Online Parser
Parse cron expressions and see next run times
All processing happens locally. No data is sent to any server.
Cron expressions are used in Unix-like systems to schedule tasks at specific times. Our Cron Parser converts cron expressions into human-readable descriptions and shows the next 5 scheduled run times. Enter a cron expression (5 or 6 fields) to see when it will next execute. Use the example buttons to quickly load common patterns like "every hour" or "weekdays at 9 AM." The tool validates your expression and shows errors if the syntax is incorrect, helping you catch mistakes before deploying schedules to production systems, cloud functions, or container orchestrators like Kubernetes and ECS. Cron format: minute hour day-of-month month day-of-week. Common special characters include * (any), / (step), - (range), and , (list). Understanding these patterns helps you write accurate schedules for batch jobs, backups, deployments, and maintenance tasks. The next run times help you verify your schedule is correct before deploying it to production servers, serverless environments, or CI/CD pipelines for reliable automation. All parsing happens in your browser — your data never leaves your device. This makes it safe to use with proprietary schedule configurations, sensitive deployment timings, or confidential automation workflows and business logic. For related scheduling tools, try our [Regex Tester](/tools/regex-tester) to validate cron patterns, or use our [Timestamp Converter](/tools/timestamp-converter) to convert the scheduled times to different formats.
FAQ
What is a cron expression?
A cron expression is a string of 5-6 fields that represents a schedule. It's used in Unix cron, systemd timers, and many scheduling libraries.
What do the fields mean?
From left to right: minute (0-59), hour (0-23), day of month (1-31), month (1-12), day of week (0-7, where 0 and 7 are Sunday). Some systems add seconds as the first field.
What is */5 * * * *?
This means "every 5 minutes." The */5 in the minute field means "every 5th minute," while * in other fields means "every value."
How do I schedule weekdays at 9 AM?
Use 0 9 * * 1-5. This means at minute 0, hour 9, every day of month, every month, Monday through Friday (1-5).