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Convert Crontab cron to Kubernetes
Crontab expressions look similar to Kubernetes, but the differences matter. Paste yours below; the result is checked against the original run times.
What changes from Crontab to Kubernetes
- Crontab and Kubernetes use the same five-field layout and weekday numbering, so most expressions convert unchanged.
Worked examples
| Schedule | Crontab | Kubernetes |
|---|---|---|
| every minute | * * * * * | * * * * * |
| every 5 minutes | */5 * * * * | */5 * * * * |
| every 10 minutes | */10 * * * * | */10 * * * * |
| every 15 minutes | */15 * * * * | */15 * * * * |
| every 30 minutes | */30 * * * * | */30 * * * * |
| every hour | 0 * * * * | 0 * * * * |
| every 2 hours | 0 */2 * * * | 0 */2 * * * |
| every 3 hours | 0 */3 * * * | 0 */3 * * * |
Field layout and time zones
minute (0-59), hour (0-23), day-of-month (1-31), month (1-12), day-of-week (0-7, 0 and 7 = Sunday).
Cron runs in the server's local time zone. Check it with the date command, or put CRON_TZ=Asia/Kolkata above the line on cronie-based systems.
minute (0-59), hour (0-23), day-of-month (1-31), month (1-12), day-of-week (0-7, 0 and 7 = Sunday).
Set spec.timeZone (Kubernetes 1.27+) to a name like Asia/Kolkata. Without it the schedule follows the controller's time zone, usually UTC.
Go the other way
Convert Kubernetes to Crontab, or open the Crontab builder or the Kubernetes builder.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert a Crontab cron expression to Kubernetes?
Paste it into the converter above with Crontab as the source and Kubernetes as the target. For example, * * * * * becomes * * * * *.
Is every Crontab expression convertible to Kubernetes?
Yes for the common schedules we tested (27 of 27), though unusual expressions with special characters might need manual review.
Does Kubernetes run in the same time zone as Crontab?
Not necessarily. Conversion changes the syntax, not the time zone. Check where each system evaluates the schedule before you rely on the same clock times.