Cron to Plain English
Type a cron expression, get a human-readable description: 0 9 * * 1-5 → "every weekday at 9:00 AM". Supports the standard 5-field syntax plus common aliases (@hourly, @daily, @weekly, @monthly, @yearly).
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How to use the Cron to Plain English
Type a cron expression. The description updates live. For the reverse direction (English → cron) and to see next fire times, use the Cron Expression Parser.
A cron expression as one sentence
Sometimes you do not need fire times or validation — you just want the one-line meaning of 0 9 * * 1-5 so you can drop it into a comment or a ticket. This converter does exactly that, turning the expression into "every weekday at 9:00 AM" as you type.
It covers the standard five fields and the common aliases (@hourly through @yearly). For the next scheduled runs and field-by-field validation, the cron decoder is the heavier tool; to build an expression from scratch, use the visual builder. This one is deliberately the quick, read-only translation.
Common use cases
- Commenting a crontab — paste the English line above a cron entry so the next reader gets it instantly.
- Tickets and PR descriptions — describe a schedule change in words anyone can review.
- A quick gut-check — confirm an expression means what you intended before you commit it.
- Teaching — show a beginner what each example expression actually translates to.
- Chat and Slack — explain a schedule without making colleagues parse cron syntax.
Frequently asked questions
Can it convert English back into a cron expression?
How are the day-of-week numbers handled?
0 and 7 read as Sunday.Does it show the next fire times?
Which shortcut aliases does it understand?
@hourly, @daily, @weekly, @monthly, and @yearly (an alias of @annually).