Dev · Free tool

Cron generator with a plain-language explanation.

Build a cron expression without guesswork: pick a template or set the five fields yourself — the tool shows the expression live and explains in plain language when it runs. Works for crontab, WP-Cron, n8n and any scheduler.

Cron expression
0 3 * * *

Daily at 03:00.

Fields: minute hour day-of-month month weekday. Allowed: number, * (any), lists (1,15), ranges (1-5), steps (*/5). Note: WP-Cron only runs on page visits — for exact timing set up a real server cron job (via WP-CLI or crontab).

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

01What is a cron expression?

Five space-separated fields that define a schedule: minute, hour, day of month, month and weekday. An asterisk (*) means “any value”.

02How do I read the five fields?

Left to right: minute (0–59), hour (0–23), day of month (1–31), month (1–12), weekday (0–6, where 0 and 7 are Sunday). So “0 3 * * *” means daily at 03:00.

03What does */5 mean?

A step value: every 5 units. “*/5” in the minute field means every 5 minutes. There are also lists (1,15), ranges (1-5) and combinations.

04What's the difference between WP-Cron and real cron?

WP-Cron isn't a real scheduler: it only runs when someone visits the site. With little traffic, tasks are delayed; with lots of traffic it costs performance. For reliable timing, disable WP-Cron (DISABLE_WP_CRON) and set up a real server cron job (crontab or WP-CLI).

05Are my inputs stored?

No. The tool runs entirely in your browser — no server endpoint, nothing transmitted or stored.

Automation that runs reliably? We'll build it.