Overview
Cron expressions define when recurring jobs should execute. Cuey uses the standard 5-field cron format.Cron Format
Cron expressions consist of 5 fields separated by spaces:Field Values
| Field | Values | Special Characters |
|---|---|---|
| Minute | 0-59 | * , - / |
| Hour | 0-23 | * , - / |
| Day of Month | 1-31 | * , - / |
| Month | 1-12 | * , - / |
| Day of Week | 0-6 (0=Sunday) | * , - / |
Special Characters
*- Matches any value,- Value list separator (e.g.,1,3,5)-- Range (e.g.,1-5)/- Step values (e.g.,*/15)
Common Examples
Every Minute
Every Hour
Every Day at Midnight
Every Day at 9 AM
Every Monday at 9 AM
Every Weekday at 9 AM
Every 15 Minutes
Every 30 Minutes
Every Hour on the Hour
First Day of Every Month at Midnight
Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 9 AM
Every Day at 9 AM and 5 PM
Timezone Support
Cron expressions can be combined with timezones to schedule jobs in specific time zones. When creating a cron job, you can specify a timezone (e.g.,America/New_York, Europe/London). If no timezone is specified, UTC is used.
Example: Daily Report in Different Timezones
- Daily report at 9 AM EST:
0 9 * * *with timezoneAmerica/New_York - Daily report at 9 AM PST:
0 9 * * *with timezoneAmerica/Los_Angeles - Daily report at 9 AM UTC:
0 9 * * *with no timezone (defaults to UTC)
Advanced Patterns
Every 5 Minutes During Business Hours (9 AM - 5 PM, Weekdays)
Every Hour During Night Hours (10 PM - 6 AM)
Twice Daily (9 AM and 6 PM)
Every 10 Minutes on Weekdays
First Monday of Every Month
This requires more complex logic - consider using scheduled events instead of cron jobs for this pattern.Best Practices
Use Specific Times
- ✅ Good:
0 9 * * *- Specific time (9 AM sharp) - ❌ Avoid:
* * * * *- Every minute (unless necessary)
Consider Timezones
- ✅ Good: Specify timezone for user-facing schedules (e.g.,
America/New_Yorkfor business hours) - ✅ Good: Use UTC for system-level jobs (omit timezone or set to
null)
Document Complex Expressions
When using complex cron expressions, document what they represent in comments or descriptions:0 9 * * 1-5- Weekdays at 9 AM*/5 9-17 * * 1-5- Every 5 minutes during business hours (9 AM - 5 PM, weekdays)