Every X Hours Cron Expressions

Master hourly cron scheduling with expressions for every 1 to 23 hours. Perfect for regular maintenance, data processing, and automated reporting tasks.

Try Any Hour Interval

Free Cron Job Generator & Builder

The easiest way to edit, visualize, and understand cron schedules. Create, test, and export cron expressions with our intuitive online tool.

Visual Cron Builder

Build cron expressions using an intuitive visual interface with dropdowns and checkboxes.

Timezone Converter

Convert cron schedules between different timezones to coordinate global deployments.

Text to Cron

Convert plain English phrases like "every day at 8pm" into valid cron expressions.

Expression Validator

Validate and debug cron expressions with detailed field-by-field syntax analysis.

Quick Reference

Cron Format

* * * * *
* = minute (0-59)
* = hour (0-23)
* = day of month (1-31)
* = month (1-12)
* = day of week (0-6, Sunday=0)

Special Characters

* = any value
, = value list separator
- = range of values
/ = step values

Common Examples

0 0 * * *
Daily at midnight
0 12 * * *
Daily at noon
0 0 * * 0
Weekly on Sunday
0 0 1 * *
Monthly on 1st
*/15 * * * *
Every 15 minutes
0 9-17 * * 1-5
Business hours
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Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to common questions about cron jobs, scheduling, and using our cron expression generator.

A cron job is a scheduled task that runs automatically at specified times on Unix-like systems. Cron jobs use cron expressions (like "0 9 * * 1-5") to define when they should execute, making them perfect for automation, backups, and recurring tasks.
Cron expressions have 5 fields: minute (0-59), hour (0-23), day of month (1-31), month (1-12), and day of week (0-7). For example, "30 14 * * 1-5" means run at 2:30 PM on weekdays. Use our generator to see exactly when your cron will run.
Standard cron jobs can run as frequently as once per minute. For more frequent execution, you need extended cron formats or specialized schedulers. Our tool supports both standard 5-field and extended 6-field cron expressions.
Cron jobs typically run in the server's local timezone. Some systems support timezone-specific cron formats. Our tool lets you preview execution times in different timezones to help you schedule jobs correctly.
Popular examples include: "0 0 * * *" (daily at midnight), "*/15 * * * *" (every 15 minutes), "0 9 * * 1-5" (weekdays at 9 AM), and "0 0 1 * *" (first day of each month). Browse our 316+ presets for more examples.
Common issues include: incorrect cron syntax, missing file permissions, wrong file paths, minimal environment variables, or cron daemon not running. Use our validator to check your syntax and see the human-readable description of your schedule.

Need more help? Check out our comprehensive guides:

Complete Cron GuideSyntax CheatsheetCommon Examples

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Popular Hourly Schedules

Every 1 hour

0 */1 * * *

Runs every hour at the start of the hour

Common uses:

  • Log rotation
  • Data aggregation
  • Cache refresh
  • Hourly reports

Best practices:

  • Consider using minute offset to avoid peak load
  • Monitor for overlapping executions

Every 2 hours

0 */2 * * *

Runs every 2 hours for moderate frequency tasks

Common uses:

  • Database backups
  • Analytics processing
  • Feed updates
  • System maintenance

Best practices:

  • Good balance between frequency and resource usage

Every 3 hours

0 */3 * * *

Runs every 3 hours - eight times per day

Common uses:

  • Data synchronization
  • Report generation
  • Batch processing
  • Health checks

Best practices:

  • Aligns well with 24-hour cycle

Every 4 hours

0 */4 * * *

Runs every 4 hours - six times per day

Common uses:

  • Major backups
  • Data warehouse updates
  • System scans
  • Index rebuilding

Best practices:

  • Good for resource-intensive tasks

Every 6 hours

0 */6 * * *

Runs every 6 hours - four times per day

Common uses:

  • Quarter-day reports
  • Large data sync
  • Comprehensive backups
  • System updates

Best practices:

  • Ideal for dividing day into quarters

Every 8 hours

0 */8 * * *

Runs every 8 hours - three times per day

Common uses:

  • Shift-based processing
  • Major maintenance
  • Full system backups
  • Data migrations

Best practices:

  • Aligns with 8-hour work shifts

Every 12 hours

0 */12 * * *

Runs twice daily - every 12 hours

Common uses:

  • Daily summaries
  • Major sync operations
  • Comprehensive reports
  • System snapshots

Best practices:

  • Common for AM/PM processing

All Hourly Intervals (1-23 Hours)

Every 1h
0 */1 * * *
Every 2h
0 */2 * * *
Every 3h
0 */3 * * *
Every 4h
0 */4 * * *
Every 5h
0 */5 * * *
Every 6h
0 */6 * * *
Every 7h
0 */7 * * *
Every 8h
0 */8 * * *
Every 9h
0 */9 * * *
Every 10h
0 */10 * * *
Every 11h
0 */11 * * *
Every 12h
0 */12 * * *
Every 13h
0 */13 * * *
Every 14h
0 */14 * * *
Every 15h
0 */15 * * *
Every 16h
0 */16 * * *
Every 17h
0 */17 * * *
Every 18h
0 */18 * * *
Every 19h
0 */19 * * *
Every 20h
0 */20 * * *
Every 21h
0 */21 * * *
Every 22h
0 */22 * * *
Every 23h
0 */23 * * *

Advanced Hourly Patterns

Offset Hour Schedules

Run at specific minutes past the hour to avoid peak loads:

15 * * * * - Every hour at 15 minutes past
30 */2 * * * - Every 2 hours at 30 minutes past
45 */3 * * * - Every 3 hours at 45 minutes past

Business Hours Only

Restrict hourly jobs to business hours:

0 9-17 * * 1-5 - Every hour 9am-5pm weekdays
0 8-18/2 * * 1-5 - Every 2 hours 8am-6pm weekdays
0 6-22/4 * * * - Every 4 hours 6am-10pm daily

Time Zone Considerations

Important notes for hourly schedules:

  • Cron uses the system's local time zone by default
  • Consider DST changes for critical hourly jobs
  • Use UTC for globally distributed systems
  • Document time zone assumptions in your crontab

Industry-Specific Examples

E-Commerce & Retail

Inventory sync0 */2 * * *
Price updates0 */6 * * *
Sales reports0 */4 * * *

DevOps & Infrastructure

Metrics collection0 * * * *
Log rotation0 */3 * * *
Backup snapshots0 */8 * * *

Data & Analytics

ETL pipeline0 */4 * * *
Dashboard refresh0 * * * *
ML model training0 */12 * * *

Finance & Banking

Transaction reconciliation0 */2 * * *
Risk assessment0 */6 * * *
Compliance reports0 */8 * * *

Performance & Optimization Tips

Resource Management

  • Stagger job start times using minute offsets
  • Implement job queuing for resource-intensive tasks
  • Use locks to prevent overlapping executions
  • Monitor CPU and memory usage patterns

Reliability Best Practices

  • Add error handling and retry logic
  • Log execution times and outcomes
  • Set up monitoring and alerting
  • Test thoroughly before production deployment

Related Tools

Cron Tools

Visual Builder

Build cron expressions visually

Text to Cron

Convert natural language to cron

Expression Validator

Validate and test cron expressions

Timezone Converter

Convert cron times between timezones

Interval Patterns

All cron interval patterns guide

Learning Resources

Guides, tutorials, and best practices

Preset Library

Browse 300+ cron expression presets

Related Guides & Resources

Every X Minutes Guide

High-frequency scheduling patterns

50+ Cron Examples

Real-world hourly job examples

Cron Best Practices

Production tips for hourly jobs

Timezone Converter

Convert cron times across zones