{"generatedAt":"2026-08-09T03:01:43.999Z","tool":{"id":"cron-builder","name":"Cron Expression Builder","description":"Build and validate cron expressions with human-readable schedule descriptions, next-run previews, and a free REST API for automation workflows.","category":"devtools","icon":"⏱","keywords":["cron","crontab","schedule","expression","builder","timer","linux","job"],"hasApi":true,"remoteCallable":true,"remoteMode":"dedicated_api","riskClass":"M","maxInputBytes":262144,"timeoutMs":4000,"supportsStreaming":false,"url":"/cron-builder/","tags":["devtools"],"faqs":[{"question":"What is Cron Expression Builder?","answer":"Cron Expression Builder is a visual tool for creating cron expressions with human-readable descriptions and next execution time previews. It makes scheduling tasks on Linux, macOS, and CI/CD pipelines intuitive."},{"question":"How do I use Cron Expression Builder?","answer":"Use the visual dropdowns and toggles to set minute, hour, day, month, and weekday fields. The tool generates the cron expression, shows a human-readable description of the schedule, and lists the next several execution times."},{"question":"What cron format does it support?","answer":"It supports the standard 5-field cron format (minute, hour, day of month, month, day of week) used by crontab, systemd timers, and most CI/CD platforms like GitHub Actions and GitLab CI."}],"howTo":[{"title":"Pick a preset or start from scratch","description":"Open the Presets dropdown for common schedules like every 5 minutes, daily at midnight, or weekdays at 9 AM. The expression updates instantly."},{"title":"Set each field's mode","description":"Each field (minute, hour, day, month, weekday) offers Every, Specific, Range, and Step modes. Pick values to build the exact schedule you need."},{"title":"See the cron expression preview","description":"The cron syntax (e.g., `0 9 * * 1-5` for 9 AM weekdays) and a plain-English description update in real time as you edit the fields."},{"title":"Copy cron expression","description":"Click 'Copy' to copy the expression to your clipboard. Paste into crontab, GitHub Actions, AWS CloudWatch, or any scheduler that uses cron syntax."},{"title":"Check the next run times","description":"The 'Next 5 Executions' list updates automatically with upcoming run times in local time, so you can confirm the schedule before deploying."}],"agentContract":{"toolId":"cron-builder","contractVersion":"2.0.0","remote_callable":true,"remote_mode":"dedicated_api","risk_class":"M","max_input_bytes":262144,"timeout_ms":4000,"supports_streaming":false,"preferred_surface":"dedicated_api","dedicated_api":{"baseUrl":"https://aidevhub.io/api/cron-expression/build/","openapiUrl":"https://aidevhub.io/api/openapi.yaml","endpoints":[{"method":"GET","path":"/api/cron-expression/parse/","summary":"Parse a cron expression"},{"method":"GET","path":"/api/cron-expression/build/","summary":"Build cron from human text"}],"riskClass":"M","inputMaxBytes":262144,"timeoutMs":4000},"runtime":{"endpoint":"/api/tools/run/","methods":["GET","POST"],"queryParams":[{"name":"toolId","required":true,"description":"Tool identifier"},{"name":"a","required":true,"description":"Primary input"}],"postBodyShape":{"toolId":"string","input":"{ a, b?, c?, mode? }"},"exampleGet":"https://aidevhub.io/api/tools/run/?toolId=cron-builder&a=...","policy":{"riskClass":"M","limit":30,"burst":10,"windowSec":60,"inputMaxBytes":262144,"timeoutMs":4000,"cacheTtlSec":0,"networkEnabled":false,"supportsStreaming":false}},"semantic_fields":{"expression":"Field from Cron Expression API"}},"relatedTools":[{"id":"api-header-builder","name":"API Header Builder & cURL Generator","url":"/api-header-builder/","category":"devtools"},{"id":"jsonpath-tester","name":"JSONPath Tester","url":"/jsonpath-tester/","category":"devtools"},{"id":"shell-command-explainer","name":"Shell Command Explainer","url":"/shell-command-explainer/","category":"devtools"},{"id":"cli-ux-linter","name":"CLI UX Linter","url":"/cli-ux-linter/","category":"devtools"},{"id":"ai-cli-generator","name":"AI CLI Generator","url":"/ai-cli-generator/","category":"devtools"},{"id":"csv-endpoint-builder","name":"CSV Endpoint Builder","url":"/csv-endpoint-builder/","category":"devtools"}]}}