Cron Builder for Jenkins Pipeline Schedules
Quick Answer: Jenkins uses 5-field cron with a special H symbol that distributes load. H means "hash of the job name" -- so H(0-29)/30 * * * * spreads jobs across the first 30 minutes instead of all running at minute 0. Use H instead of specific minutes to reduce Jenkins load.
Cron Expression
* * * * *
Plain English
every minute, of every hour
Next 5 Run Times
4/12/2026, 3:54:00 PM
4/12/2026, 3:55:00 PM
4/12/2026, 3:56:00 PM
4/12/2026, 3:57:00 PM
4/12/2026, 3:58:00 PM
FAQ
What does H mean in Jenkins cron?
H is a hash of the job name used to distribute load. H * * * * runs once per hour at a consistent-but-hashed minute. It prevents all jobs from triggering at :00.
How do I use cron in a Jenkinsfile?
In a Declarative Pipeline: triggers { cron("H/15 * * * *") }. For pollSCM: triggers { pollSCM("H/5 * * * *") } to check source control every ~5 minutes.