Convert cron to Kubernetes CronJob
This page shows how to write a standard five-field Unix cron schedule as a Kubernetes CronJob schedule. Every example below is produced by the CronLabs engine. To convert an expression of your own, open the interactive converter.
Example conversions
Each row shows a common cron expression, what it does, and the equivalent Kubernetes CronJob schedule.
| Cron | Meaning | Kubernetes CronJob |
|---|---|---|
| 0 9 * * * | at 9:00 AM | 0 9 * * * |
| */15 * * * * | every 15 minutes | */15 * * * * |
| 0 9 * * 1-5 | at 9:00 AM on weekdays | 0 9 * * 1-5 |
| 0 0 * * 0 | Every Sunday at midnight | 0 0 * * 0 |
| 0 0 1 * * | First day of every month at midnight | 0 0 1 * * |
| 30 2 * * * | at minute 30 at 2:30 AM | 30 2 * * * |
Ready-to-use Kubernetes CronJob configuration
The snippet below schedules a job for at 9:00 AM on weekdays (cron 0 9 * * 1-5). Replace the placeholder command and names with your own values.
Kubernetes CronJob · yaml
apiVersion: batch/v1
kind: CronJob
metadata:
name: my-job
spec:
schedule: "0 9 * * 1-5"
jobTemplate:
spec:
template:
spec:
containers:
- name: my-job
image: busybox:latest
command: ["/bin/sh", "-c", "/path/to/job"]
restartPolicy: OnFailureThings to know about Kubernetes CronJob schedules
Set spec.timeZone to pin a zone (Kubernetes ≥ 1.27); otherwise the controller-manager's timezone is used.
For the full syntax, see the official Kubernetes CronJob documentation.
Convert your own expression
Paste any cron expression into the validator to see its next run times, a calendar view, and the equivalent schedule for every supported platform.
Open the validator