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Cron expression generator for AI agents
Type a schedule like "every weekday at 9am" and get the cron expression (0 9 * * 1-5), the next 5 run times in your time zone, and how many runs a week it makes. Copy it as an OpenClaw command, an n8n Custom (Cron) value, or the plain-words schedule Grok Bot routines expect.
Everything is worked out in your browser. Nothing you type is sent or stored.
Make a cron expression
Cron expression
0 9 * * 1-5Every weekday at 9:00 AM.
How often: 5 runs a week.
Next 5 runs (UTC)
Working out run times in your browser...
Run times are shown on the clock of the time zone you picked. A time that doesn't exist on that clock because of a daylight-saving change is skipped in this preview.
Copy for
Run this routine every weekday at 9:00 AM.
- Grok Bot routines take a schedule in plain words, not a cron line. Paste the sentence above into a chat with the Bot that owns the job, then open the routine and check When to run. (Cursor help: Routines)
- Routine schedules must be at least five minutes apart, and a Bot can own up to 50 routines. (xAI docs: Skills and routines)
- Schedules use the Timezone under Settings, Bot. A new routine waits for its next scheduled time, so use Test to try it right away. (Cursor help: Routines)
- Each Grok Bot routine run spends usage, so a schedule that runs often spends more than one that runs rarely (Cursor help: Routines).
Common cron expressions, answered
| Schedule | Cron | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| every 5 minutes | */5 * * * * | Every 5 minutes. |
| every 10 minutes | */10 * * * * | Every 10 minutes. |
| every 15 minutes | */15 * * * * | Every 15 minutes. |
| every 30 minutes | */30 * * * * | Every 30 minutes. |
| every hour | 0 * * * * | Every hour. |
| every 2 hours | 0 */2 * * * | Every 2 hours. |
| every day at midnight | 0 0 * * * | Every day at 12:00 AM. |
| every weekday at 9am | 0 9 * * 1-5 | Every weekday at 9:00 AM. |
| every monday at 8am | 0 8 * * 1 | Every Monday at 8:00 AM. |
| 1st of the month at 9am | 0 9 1 * * | On the 1st of every month at 9:00 AM. |
Standard 5-field cron: minute, hour, day of month, month, day of week (crontab(5) manual page). For Grok Bot, use the words in the first column: routines take plain-words schedules at least five minutes apart.
How to use a cron schedule with your AI agent
- Describe the schedule. Type it in plain English or pick a common one. The cron expression and what it means appear straight away.
- Check the run times. Pick the time zone your agent runs in and read the next 5 runs. Fix any warning, such as runs closer than five minutes for Grok Bot.
- Copy it for your agent. Choose Grok Bot, OpenClaw, n8n or Linux crontab and copy the text made for it.
FAQ
What is the cron expression for every 5 minutes?
*/5 * * * *. It runs at minute 0, 5, 10 and so on, every hour of every day (crontab(5) manual page). In Grok Bot, ask for "every 5 minutes" in plain words: xAI's docs say routine schedules must be at least five minutes apart.
Can I paste a cron expression into a Grok Bot routine?
Cursor's routines help says to ask for a schedule in plain words, like "every weekday at 8:00 AM" or "every 2 hours", then open the routine and check When to run. This tool writes that sentence for you from the cron line.
How often can a Grok Bot routine run?
xAI's docs say routine schedules must be at least five minutes apart and a Bot can own up to 50 routines. Each run spends usage, so a schedule that runs often spends more than one that runs rarely (Cursor help: Routines).
Which time zone does my agent's schedule use?
Grok Bot uses the Timezone under Settings, Bot, and auto-detect follows your computer (Cursor help). OpenClaw uses the --tz zone, or the Gateway host's zone without it (OpenClaw docs). n8n uses the workflow time zone, or the instance time zone if none is set (n8n docs).
Why did my OpenClaw cron job run a few minutes late?
OpenClaw's docs say recurring top-of-hour expressions are staggered by up to 5 minutes by default to reduce load spikes. Add --exact to force precise timing, or --stagger to set your own window.
Sources: xAI docs: Skills and routines, Cursor help: Routines, OpenClaw docs: Automation schedules, OpenClaw docs: openclaw automations, n8n docs: Schedule Trigger, crontab(5) manual page. Checked 21 Oct 2026. We're an independent site, not part of xAI, OpenClaw or n8n.
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