Cron Expression Parser
Paste a cron expression to see a plain-English description, the next ten scheduled run times, and which dialect it belongs to. Switch dialects to compare how Unix, Quartz, Kubernetes, AWS EventBridge, Spring, and GitHub Actions interpret the same string.
*/5****
minutehourday-of-monthmonthday-of-week
Every 5 minutes
Unix cron · 5 fields
Next 10 runs
- 012026-07-03T16:55:00.000Z
- 022026-07-03T17:00:00.000Z
- 032026-07-03T17:05:00.000Z
- 042026-07-03T17:10:00.000Z
- 052026-07-03T17:15:00.000Z
- 062026-07-03T17:20:00.000Z
- 072026-07-03T17:25:00.000Z
- 082026-07-03T17:30:00.000Z
- 092026-07-03T17:35:00.000Z
- 102026-07-03T17:40:00.000Z
How to use it
- 01
Pick your cron dialect
Choose the dialect that matches your scheduler — Unix cron, Quartz, Kubernetes CronJob, AWS EventBridge, Spring @Scheduled, or GitHub Actions.
- 02
Paste your expression
Type or paste the cron expression. The parser updates as you type and flags syntax errors inline.
- 03
Read the explanation
The plain-English description appears below the input. Each field is color-coded so you can match it back to the expression.
- 04
Pick a timezone
Choose a timezone to see the next 10 run times in local clock terms. The default is UTC.
Frequently asked questions
What cron dialects does this parser support?
Unix cron (5 fields), Quartz Scheduler (6 or 7 fields with seconds and optional year), Kubernetes CronJob (5 fields, UTC), AWS EventBridge (6 fields with year, Sunday=1), Spring @Scheduled (6 fields with seconds), and GitHub Actions schedule (5 fields, UTC).
Does the parser handle timezones?
Yes. Pick a timezone from the dropdown and the next 10 run times will be shown in that timezone, including daylight saving transitions. The cron expression itself is interpreted in the selected timezone — switch to UTC to see how a cloud scheduler would interpret it.
Why does my Quartz expression with `?` fail in Unix cron?
The question mark is a Quartz/EventBridge extension that means "no specific value" for day-of-month or day-of-week. Unix cron doesn't recognize it. Switch the dialect dropdown to Quartz or EventBridge if you're using `?`.
Why are seconds not allowed in my Kubernetes CronJob?
Kubernetes CronJob uses the standard 5-field Unix cron syntax — no seconds. The minimum granularity is one minute. If you need sub-minute scheduling, use a different mechanism (a long-running pod with an in-process scheduler, or a queue like Argo Workflows).
Is my data sent to a server?
No. All parsing happens in your browser via the cronstrue and cron-parser libraries. Nothing is logged, stored, or transmitted.