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Convert GitHub Actions cron to node-cron
GitHub Actions expressions look similar to node-cron, but the differences matter. Paste yours below; the result is checked against the original run times.
What changes from GitHub Actions to node-cron
- node-cron has a leading seconds field. The converter adds
0in front so the job fires at the start of the minute. - GitHub Actions runs when day-of-month or day-of-week matches, but node-cron requires both. If you set both fields, the converter warns you.
Worked examples
| Schedule | GitHub Actions | node-cron |
|---|---|---|
| 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 * * * |
| every 6 hours | 0 */6 * * * | 0 */6 * * * |
Field layout and time zones
minute (0-59), hour (0-23), day-of-month (1-31), month (1-12), day-of-week (0-6, 0 = Sunday).
GitHub Actions schedules are always UTC. Convert your local time to UTC before writing the expression.
second (0-59), minute (0-59), hour (0-23), day-of-month (1-31), month (1-12), day-of-week (0-7, 0 and 7 = Sunday).
node-cron uses the server time zone unless you pass { timezone: "Asia/Kolkata" }. Its documentation advises timezone: "UTC" for jobs that must not skip or repeat when clocks change.
Go the other way
Convert node-cron to GitHub Actions, or open the GitHub Actions builder or the node-cron builder.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert a GitHub Actions cron expression to node-cron?
Paste it into the converter above with GitHub Actions as the source and node-cron as the target. For example, */5 * * * * becomes */5 * * * *.
Is every GitHub Actions expression convertible to node-cron?
Yes for the common schedules we tested (26 of 26), though unusual expressions with special characters might need manual review.
Does node-cron run in the same time zone as GitHub Actions?
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.