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Cron Expression Parser - Explain Cron Schedules

Runs entirely in your browser. No data is uploaded.

Cron expressions are compact but easy to misread. If you’re reviewing a job schedule or debugging why a task runs at the wrong time, you need a clear explanation and a quick preview of upcoming run times.

Explain cron expressions in plain language and preview the next run times. Works in your browser (no uploads).

Show detailed guide & explanations▼

Why you may need this tool

Cron expressions are compact but not intuitive. A small mistake in one field can change a schedule from daily to weekly, or shift the time in ways that are hard to notice until production. For scheduled jobs, it is safer to confirm the “human meaning” and expected next runs before you apply changes. A parser helps you translate a cron string into readable text and sanity - check your schedule configuration.

How to use

Paste a cron expression and review the readable description and next run times for correctness.

  1. Paste a cron expression (5 - field or 6 - field with seconds)
  2. Choose the cron format and output language
  3. See a human - readable description
  4. Preview the next run times

Examples

Verifying a weekday morning schedule
Expressions like `0 9 * * 1 - 5` can be easy to misread. A parser clarifies the intent and helps catch off - by - one or field - order mistakes before deployment.
Reviewing monthly schedules for billing or reporting
Monthly jobs are high - impact because they run infrequently. Confirming the next run dates helps prevent misconfigured schedules that are only discovered after a missed cycle.

Benefits & differentiators

Readable output improves reviews and reduces operational mistakes. It becomes easier to confirm whether a job runs on weekdays, at a specific hour, or on a certain day of the month. Seeing upcoming executions helps you plan testing and monitoring: you can verify that the next run aligns with your intended release and maintenance windows.

Who this is for

Recommended if you: - configure scheduled jobs and want a safer review step - maintain cron rules across multiple environments - need to explain a cron schedule to teammates - validate next run times before enabling a job

FAQ

What cron formats are supported?
This tool supports standard 5 - field cron (min hour day month weekday) and 6 - field cron with seconds.
Does it support */5 and ranges?
Yes. Common cron patterns like lists, ranges, and step values are supported.
Is the schedule time zone aware?
Next run previews use your browser time zone by default. You can also view times in UTC.
How are weekdays interpreted?
Weekday interpretation can vary by cron implementation. Use the human - readable output and next - run preview to confirm the behavior you expect.
Is my cron expression uploaded?
No. Everything runs locally in your browser.

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