⏱️ Cron Expression Generator

Q: What's the difference between 0 0 * * * and @daily?

0 0 * * * is equivalent to @daily — both run at midnight every day. The standard 5-field expression has better compatibility.

Q: How to use Cron expressions in Kubernetes?

Use the expression in your CronJob's spec.schedule field. Kubernetes also supports 6-field format with seconds.

Q: What's the difference between ? and *?

* matches any value, while ? means no specific value (only for day and weekday fields). When both need matching, one must use ?.

Visually build and parse Cron job schedule expressions with real-time next execution preview

📝 Quick Presets

🔧 Custom Cron Expression

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Or enter Cron expression directly

0 * * * *

Run at minute 0 of every hour

📅 Next Execution Times

Calculating...

📖 Cron Syntax Reference

Field	Range	Special Chars
Minute	0-59	, - * /
Hour	0-23	, - * /
Day	1-31	, - * ? / L W
Month	1-12	, - * /
Weekday	0-7	, - * ? / L #

Special characters:
* Any ? No specific - Range , List / Step L Last W Weekday # Nth weekday

❓ FAQ

What is a Cron expression?

A Cron expression is a time-based string used in Unix/Linux to schedule recurring tasks. It consists of 5 fields (minute hour day month weekday) and is widely used in Linux crontab, Kubernetes CronJob, Spring Boot @Scheduled, and more.

What's the difference between 0 0 * * * and @daily?

0 0 * * * is equivalent to @daily — both run at midnight every day. @daily is a shorthand available in some Cron implementations; the standard 5-field expression has better compatibility.

How to use Cron expressions in Kubernetes?

Use the generated expression in your CronJob's spec.schedule field. Kubernetes also supports 6-field format (with seconds) — prefix with 0, e.g. 0 0 0 * * *.

What's the difference between ? and *?

* matches any value, while ? means "no specific value" (only for day and weekday fields). When both day and weekday need matching, one must use ?.