Cron Builder for node-cron — Schedule Node.js Tasks
Quick Answer: The node-cron package supports both 5-field (minute-based) and 6-field (second-based) cron expressions. Build your schedule here: cron.schedule("*/5 * * * *", () => { ... }) runs every 5 minutes. For second precision, add a leading field: "*/30 * * * * *" runs every 30 seconds.
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
Does node-cron support seconds?
Yes. Use 6 fields where the first is seconds: "*/10 * * * * *" fires every 10 seconds. The standard 5-field format starts from minutes.
Is node-cron suitable for production?
For single-instance apps, yes. For multi-instance deployments, use a distributed scheduler (BullMQ, Agenda) to prevent duplicate executions across instances.