About this tool
Decode and verify standard UNIX cron expressions into plain English sentences, inspect individual time fields, and preview the next 5 scheduled execution times.
Cron Parser
Translate cron expressions into plain English schedules and preview the next 5 upcoming execution times.
Example
- preset: */15 * * * *
- expression: */15 * * * *
- timezone: UTC
- occurrences: 5
Output
DEVWaiting
Run the tool to generate output.
When to use this tool
Use Cron Parser when setting up scheduled tasks in Kubernetes CronJobs, Linux crontab, GitHub Actions, AWS EventBridge, or Celery to avoid schedule blunders.
Inputs, Formats & Specifications
- Accepted Inputs
- 5-field standard cron string (`minute hour day-of-month month day-of-week`)
- Output Formats
- Plain English description, field breakdown table, next 5 execution timestamps
- Supported Standards
- Standard UNIX/POSIX crontab format
- Browser Limits & Scope
- Evaluates standard 5-field syntax. Extended 6-field non-standard syntaxes (including seconds or years used in Quartz scheduler) should be translated to 5-field equivalents.
How to use this tool
- Enter a 5-part standard cron expression (e.g. `*/15 * * * *` or `0 9 * * 1-5`) or choose a preset.
- Read the plain English explanation translating the expression into an unambiguous schedule.
- Inspect the field breakdown table (minute, hour, day of month, month, day of week).
- Review the upcoming run times preview showing the exact timestamps of the next 5 executions.
Examples
Weekday Morning Job Schedule
Translate `0 9 * * 1-5` into 'At 09:00 AM, Monday through Friday' to confirm business hours scheduling before deploying a production cron job.
Database Backup Schedule
Verify `30 2 * * 0` translates to 'At 02:30 AM, only on Sunday' for weekly off-peak database maintenance.