Complete Cron Interval Patterns Guide

Master cron scheduling with our comprehensive guides covering every interval pattern. From high-frequency minute intervals to annual schedules, find the perfect cron expression for your needs.

⏱️

Minute Intervals

Schedule tasks every X minutes (1-59)

Example Expressions:

* * * * **/5 * * * **/15 * * * *

Common Use Cases:

  • Real-time monitoring
  • Queue processing
  • Data sync
View All Minute Intervals
🕐

Hourly Intervals

Run jobs every X hours (1-23)

Example Expressions:

0 * * * *0 */2 * * *0 */6 * * *

Common Use Cases:

  • Log rotation
  • Backups
  • Reports
View All Hourly Intervals
Coming Soon
📅

Daily Patterns

Daily schedules at specific times

Example Expressions:

0 0 * * *0 6 * * *0 12 * * *

Common Use Cases:

  • Daily backups
  • Cleanup tasks
  • Daily reports
Coming Soon
Coming Soon
📆

Weekly Schedules

Weekly patterns and weekday/weekend jobs

Example Expressions:

0 0 * * 00 9 * * 1-50 0 * * 6

Common Use Cases:

  • Weekly reports
  • Weekend maintenance
  • Monday summaries
Coming Soon
Coming Soon
🗓️

Monthly & Quarterly

Monthly, quarterly, and annual schedules

Example Expressions:

0 0 1 * *0 0 15 * *0 0 1 */3 *

Common Use Cases:

  • Monthly billing
  • Quarterly reports
  • Annual reviews
Coming Soon
Coming Soon
⚙️

Complex Patterns

Advanced combinations and special cases

Example Expressions:

0 9-17 * * 1-5*/15 9-17 * * *0 0,12 * * *

Common Use Cases:

  • Business hours only
  • Multiple times daily
  • First week of month
Coming Soon

Understanding Cron Interval Syntax

The Five Fields

Minute (0-59)* */5 */15 30
Hour (0-23)* */2 9-17 0
Day of Month (1-31)* 1 15 1-7
Month (1-12)* */3 1 12
Day of Week (0-7)* 1-5 0 6

Special Characters

* Any value* * * * *
*/n Every n units*/5 * * * *
n-m Range0 9-17 * * *
n,m List0 0,12 * * *
? No specific value0 0 ? * *

Quick Reference: Most Used Patterns

High Frequency

Every minute* * * * *
Every 5 minutes*/5 * * * *
Every 15 minutes*/15 * * * *

Hourly & Daily

Every hour0 * * * *
Every 6 hours0 */6 * * *
Daily at midnight0 0 * * *

Weekly & Monthly

Weekly (Sunday)0 0 * * 0
Weekdays only0 9 * * 1-5
Monthly (1st)0 0 1 * *

Best Practices for Cron Intervals

Performance Optimization

  • Avoid running all jobs at minute 0 to prevent system overload
  • Use random minute offsets for non-critical tasks
  • Consider job duration when setting intervals
  • Implement proper locking mechanisms for long-running jobs

Reliability & Monitoring

  • Always test cron expressions before deployment
  • Log job execution and completion times
  • Set up alerts for failed executions
  • Document your cron schedules and their purposes

Time Zone Awareness

  • Be aware of DST (Daylight Saving Time) changes
  • Consider using UTC for global systems
  • Document time zone assumptions
  • Test behavior during time changes

Maintenance & Scaling

  • Keep cron jobs simple and focused
  • Use configuration management for cron entries
  • Consider job schedulers for complex workflows
  • Plan for horizontal scaling needs

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