Cron Expression Explainer
Paste a cron expression and read it in plain English.
About Cron Expression Explainer
Paste any cron expression and read it in plain English with our free cron expression explainer. Confusing strings like */15 9-17 * * 1-5 instantly become every 15 minutes, between 9 AM and 5 PM, Monday to Friday.
Developers and sysadmins use this cron translator to verify schedules before deploying, debug why a job runs at the wrong time, or learn cron syntax without memorizing field positions.
Cron Expression Explainer — FAQs
What is a cron expression?
A cron expression is a 5-field schedule string (minute, hour, day of month, month, day of week) that tells servers when to run automated jobs — backups, reports, cleanups and more.
What do the 5 cron fields mean?
In order: minute (0-59), hour (0-23), day of month (1-31), month (1-12), day of week (0-7, where both 0 and 7 mean Sunday). An asterisk means every value.
What does */15 * * * * mean?
Every 15 minutes, every hour, every day. The */n syntax means every nth unit — one of the most common cron patterns for frequent jobs.
Is the cron explainer free?
Yes — paste any standard 5-field cron expression and get the plain-English explanation instantly, no signup needed.
