Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about Crons.work and cron expressions.

What is a cron expression?

A cron expression is a string format used to define schedules for automated tasks. It consists of 5 or 6 fields (depending on the format) that specify when a job should run: minute, hour, day of month, month, and day of week. For example, '0 9 * * *' means 'every day at 9:00 AM'.

How do I use Crons.work?

Simply describe your desired schedule in natural language (like 'every day at 9am') or enter a cron expression directly. Our AI will convert your description into a proper cron expression, validate it, and show you exactly when it will execute with an interactive timeline visualization.

Which platforms are supported?

Crons.work supports all major platforms including Linux crontab, AWS EventBridge, Kubernetes CronJobs, GitHub Actions, Spring Framework, Quartz Scheduler, Azure Functions, and Google Cloud Scheduler. We provide ready-to-use code snippets for each platform.

Is Crons.work free to use?

Yes! Crons.work is completely free with all features available without registration. You can optionally create a free account to save and sync your cron expressions across devices.

How is my data handled?

We take privacy seriously. We only collect minimal data necessary for service operation (analytics via Google Analytics, and saved expressions if you create an account). We use cookies for analytics and ads, which you can manage through our cookie consent banner. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

Why do you show advertisements?

Advertisements help us keep Crons.work free for everyone while covering hosting and development costs. We use Google AdSense to display relevant, non-intrusive ads. You can manage ad-related cookies through our consent preferences.

How accurate are the generated expressions?

Crons.work uses industry-standard libraries (croner, cronstrue) for cron parsing and validation, ensuring high accuracy. However, we always recommend testing generated expressions in a non-production environment first, especially for critical scheduled tasks.

How do timezones work?

Cron expressions don't inherently include timezone information—they run in the server's local timezone. Crons.work allows you to visualize execution times across multiple timezones to help you plan schedules for distributed systems or global teams.

What's the difference between Unix and Quartz cron formats?

Unix cron uses 5 fields (minute, hour, day, month, weekday), while Quartz uses 6 or 7 fields (adding seconds and optionally year). Crons.work supports both formats and can convert between them.

Do I need an account to save expressions?

Yes, but you can use Crons.work without an account for basic features. Creating a free account allows you to save expressions and access them from any device with cloud sync.

Is Crons.work open source?

Crons.work leverages many excellent open-source libraries. We welcome contributions, bug reports, and feature requests from the community. Please contact us via email for more information.

How can I get help or report issues?

For support, you can email us at contact@crons.work. We typically respond within 24-48 hours.

Still have questions?

Don't hesitate to reach out to us for more information.

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