Linux Crontab Generator

Free Linux crontab generator and crontab builder. Build any cron schedule visually, then get a ready-to-paste crontab line with proper log redirection. Supports all 5-field cron syntax and special strings like @reboot, @daily, and @weekly.

⚡ Quick Presets

🔧 Crontab Builder

Minute

0-59

Hour

0-23

Day/Month

1-31

Month

1-12

Day/Week

0=Sun

0 2 * * *

✅ Runs at minute 0 at 2:00 AM

Script / command path

Redirect output to log file >> /var/log/cron-job.log 2>&1

📋 Your Crontab Line

User crontab crontab -e

0 2 * * * /path/to/script.sh >> /var/log/cron-job.log 2>&1

System crontab /etc/crontab (includes user field)

0 2 * * * root /path/to/script.sh >> /var/log/cron-job.log 2>&1

🖥️ How to Use crontab -e

crontab -eOpen your personal crontab in the default editor (nano or vi). Add your cron line and save.

crontab -lList all your current cron jobs.

crontab -rRemove your entire crontab. Be careful — this deletes all your cron jobs instantly.

sudo crontab -e -u usernameEdit another user's crontab (requires root/sudo).

cat /etc/crontabView the system-wide crontab, which has an extra "user" field in each line.

ls /etc/cron.d/List system cron job files — packages often drop files here instead of editing /etc/crontab.

✨ Special Cron Strings

Instead of a 5-field expression, Linux cron supports shorthand strings for common schedules:

Run once at startup

Run every hour (0 * * * *)

Run every day at midnight

Run every Sunday at midnight

Run 1st of month at midnight

Run Jan 1st at midnight

❓ Linux Crontab FAQ

What is crontab -e?

crontab -e opens your personal crontab file in a text editor (usually nano or vi). You add one cron job per line in the format: minute hour day-of-month month day-of-week command. Save and exit to activate the cron jobs immediately.

Where are crontab files stored on Linux?

User crontabs are stored in /var/spool/cron/crontabs/<username>. The system-wide crontab is /etc/crontab. Package cron jobs are usually in /etc/cron.d/, /etc/cron.daily/, /etc/cron.hourly/, /etc/cron.weekly/, and /etc/cron.monthly/.

How do I check if cron is running?

Run: systemctl status cron (Ubuntu/Debian) or systemctl status crond (CentOS/RHEL). You can also check: grep CRON /var/log/syslog (Ubuntu) or /var/log/cron (CentOS).

Why is my cron job not running?

The 5 most common causes: (1) Wrong PATH — use absolute paths for all commands. (2) Wrong user — cron runs as the crontab owner, not root, unless it's /etc/crontab. (3) Script not executable — run chmod +x /path/to/script.sh. (4) Missing newline — the last line of crontab must end with a newline. (5) Output not redirected — add >> /var/log/job.log 2>&1 to see errors.

How do I run a cron job on server reboot?

Add @reboot /path/to/script.sh to your crontab. The @reboot special string runs the command once each time the system boots. This is useful for starting services, mounting network drives, or running setup scripts.

What timezone does Linux cron use?

Linux crontab uses the system timezone by default. Check it with: timedatectl. You can override the timezone for a specific job by adding CRON_TZ=UTC or CRON_TZ=Asia/Kolkata at the top of the crontab.