AUTOMATION & SCHEDULING

Advanced Crontab Generator

The flawless Cron Job scheduling tool for Linux system administrators and developers. Decode complex asterisk (* * * * *) syntax in seconds.

What is a Linux Cron Job?

Cron is a time-based job scheduler in Unix-like operating systems (Ubuntu, CentOS, Debian, etc.). It runs specified tasks (commands or scripts) automatically at set times. The "Crontab" (Cron Table) file holds the list of these tasks. It is vital for recurring jobs like backups, emails, and database maintenance.

Understanding Crontab Syntax

A Crontab line consists of 5 time fields and 1 command field. The order is: **Minute - Hour - Day of Month - Month - Day of Week - Command**. The asterisk (*) means "every". For example, an asterisk in the hour field means "every hour".

Popular Cron Examples

Run every 30 minutes */30 * * * * /command
Every weekday at 08:00 AM 0 8 * * 1-5 /command
Only on Fridays at 12:00 PM 0 12 * * 5 /command

Cron Job Frequently Asked Questions

How do I run a PHP script with Cron?
You must use the full path to the PHP interpreter on your server, usually `/usr/bin/php`. Example command: `/usr/bin/php /var/www/html/script.php`. Alternatively, you can use `curl` or `wget` to trigger a URL.
How to stop Cron Job emails (logging)?
By default, Cron sends an email with the output. To prevent this and silence the output, append **>/dev/null 2>&1** to the end of the command. Example: `* * * * * /command >/dev/null 2>&1`
How to edit Crontab from the terminal?
Connect to your server via SSH and type `crontab -e` to open the editor. To list your current scheduled tasks, use `crontab -l`.