Cron Builder for Spring @Scheduled — Java Cron
Quick Answer: Spring @Scheduled uses 6-field cron: seconds minutes hours day-of-month month day-of-week. Note the field order starts with seconds (unlike Unix cron). Example: @Scheduled(cron = "0 0 */4 * * *") runs every 4 hours at minute 0, second 0.
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
How is Spring cron different from Unix cron?
Spring adds a seconds field as the first position. Spring uses 6 fields (sec min hr dom mon dow), Unix uses 5 fields (min hr dom mon dow). Spring also supports SUN-SAT for weekdays.
Can I set the timezone for Spring @Scheduled?
Yes. Use the zone attribute: @Scheduled(cron = "0 0 9 * * MON", zone = "America/New_York"). Without it, the server JVM timezone is used.