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Cron expression builder — and the next five runs

FreeNever uploaded

This one runs in your browser. Nothing you type leaves this page, and it costs nothing. The output updates as you type.

Build an expression from a schedule

0 9 * * * — change the schedule and this expression goes into the box above and is explained at once.

Before and after

An expression nobody reads at a glance, and what it actually does.

Expression
*/15 9-17 * * MON-FRI
In plain English
Every 15 minutes, during hours 9 through 17,
on Monday through Friday
Next: Mon 09:00, 09:15, 09:30, 09:45, 10:00

What this tool does

This tool reads a cron expression and tells you, in plain English, what it means field by field — then runs the schedule forward and lists the next five times it will fire, in a timezone you pick. That second half is the one that catches mistakes: "every day at 00:30" reads fine until you see the runs land at 20:00 New York time because the server is on UTC. You can also build an expression from a form. Five-field crontab and six-field (seconds-first, the Quartz and Spring convention) are both accepted and the tool says which one it read. Everything runs in your browser; nothing you type leaves this page.

What happens to your file

Your file never leaves your device. This page opens it, changes it and saves the result in your browser; nothing is uploaded, so there is no copy on our servers to delete.

No AI provider sees it either. The page sends us one count that a run happened — no file, no name, no size. Details on the privacy page.

Questions

Which cron syntax does it understand?

Standard five-field crontab, and six-field expressions with seconds first as Quartz and Spring use them. Names like MON-FRI and JAN, ranges, steps and lists all work, and so do the nicknames such as @daily. Quartz's L, W and # are understood in the fields where they are legal and refused with an explanation where they are not.

Why does it ask for a timezone?

Because a cron schedule has none of its own — it runs in whatever timezone the machine running it is set to. Picking the server's timezone and reading the next runs is the fastest way to catch a job that fires at the wrong local hour.

What about daylight saving time?

The runs are listed in the timezone you choose, so pick the zone the server is set to. Around a clock change, read the list rather than assuming — seeing the actual times is what the list is for.

Is my text uploaded anywhere?

No. The expression is parsed and run forward by code on this page, in your browser. Nothing is sent to our servers.

Is it free?

Yes, with no account and no daily limit. It runs on your own device, so it costs us nothing to offer.

Text & data

On ExploreMyData, our sister site