What cron expression runs on the first thursday of every month at midnight?

The cron expression `0 0 1-7 * 4` runs on the first thursday of every month at midnight. Paste this into your crontab file, Vercel cron config, GitHub Actions schedule, or any cron-compatible scheduler.

How do I test the cron expression 0 0 1-7 * 4?

Use a cron tester like crontab.guru or run `crontab -l` to list current jobs. For dry-run testing, many schedulers (Vercel, GitHub Actions, AWS EventBridge) have a "test schedule" or "preview next runs" button.

How do I add "0 0 1-7 * 4" to my crontab?

Run `crontab -e` to edit your crontab, add a new line with `0 0 1-7 * 4 /path/to/your-command`, and save. The command will run on the schedule you specified. Check `/var/log/syslog` or `journalctl -u cron` for execution logs.

Does this cron expression work on Vercel / GitHub Actions / AWS?

Yes, `0 0 1-7 * 4` is a standard 5-field POSIX cron expression (or 6-field for Quartz/Spring). It works on Vercel Cron Jobs, GitHub Actions (`schedule: [{ cron: '0 0 1-7 * 4' }]`), AWS EventBridge, Google Cloud Scheduler, Kubernetes CronJobs, and most Linux cron daemons.

Cron Expression: On the first Thursday of every month at midnight

Cron Expression

0 0 1-7 * 4

On the first Thursday of every month at midnight

Click the expression to select it, then copy.

Quick Answer

The cron expression for "on the first thursday of every month at midnight" is `0 0 1-7 * 4`. Copy and paste this into your crontab, Vercel cron config, GitHub Actions workflow, or any standard cron-compatible scheduler.

Field-by-Field Breakdown

Field	Value	Meaning
Minute	0	At minute 0
Hour	0	At hour 0
Day of Month	1-7	Between day of month range: 1-7
Month	*	Every month
Day of Week	4	At day of week 4

Common Use Cases

→Monthly Thursday event
→First-Thursday processing

How to Use This Expression

Vercel Cron Jobs

// vercel.json
{
  "crons": [{
    "path": "/api/your-endpoint",
    "schedule": "0 0 1-7 * 4"
  }]
}

GitHub Actions

# .github/workflows/scheduled.yml
on:
  schedule:
    - cron: '0 0 1-7 * 4'

Linux crontab

0 0 1-7 * 4 /path/to/your-command.sh

Frequently Asked Questions

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