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node-cron cron expression: every 30 seconds
To run a node-cron job every 30 seconds, use:
*/30 * * * * *Every 30 seconds.
Your week at a glance
Upcoming runs
| # | Local | UTC | From now |
|---|
Copy-ready code
Why use this schedule
Twice a minute, using the seconds field that Unix cron lacks. Only schedulers built into the application, like Quartz and Spring, can express it; system cron and cloud schedulers cannot.
- Fast health probes
- Refreshing live counters
- Draining a small outbox table
First runs, as an example
Starting from 1 January 2027, evaluated in UTC:
| # | Date and time (UTC) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Fri, 01 Jan 2027, 00:00:00 |
| 2 | Fri, 01 Jan 2027, 00:00:30 |
| 3 | Fri, 01 Jan 2027, 00:01:00 |
| 4 | Fri, 01 Jan 2027, 00:01:30 |
| 5 | Fri, 01 Jan 2027, 00:02:00 |
| 6 | Fri, 01 Jan 2027, 00:02:30 |
Every 30 seconds in every dialect
| System | Expression |
|---|---|
| node-cron (this page) | */30 * * * * * |
| Quartz | 0/30 * * * * ? |
| Spring | */30 * * * * * |
| Azure Functions | */30 * * * * * |
Need to translate a different expression? Use the cron converter.
Ready-to-use node-cron config
Drop this into your project. The expression is the one above.
import cron from 'node-cron';
cron.schedule('*/30 * * * * *', () => {
console.log('running a task');
}, { timezone: 'UTC' });The node-cron fields, in order: 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).
Things to watch out for in node-cron
- node-cron accepts an optional leading seconds field. With five fields the task runs at second 0; with six you get second precision.
- Steps restart at the top of each unit, as in standard cron, so */7 in minutes runs at 0, 7 ... 56 and then at 0 again.
- 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.
The common mistake with this schedule
If a job takes more than 30 seconds, runs will overlap or be skipped depending on the scheduler. In Spring use fixedDelay when you want a gap after the job finishes.
Frequently asked questions
How do I run a node-cron job every 30 seconds?
Use */30 * * * * *. Every 30 seconds.
What is the every 30 seconds cron expression in other systems?
Quartz: 0/30 * * * * ?; Spring: */30 * * * * *; Azure Functions: */30 * * * * *. The table on this page lists every dialect.
Which time zone does node-cron use for this schedule?
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.