Cron Expression Every 15 Minutes (*/15 * * * *)

// how it works

How `/15 * * *` Works

*/15 * * * * fires four times per hour. */15 in the minute field steps through 0–59 in increments of 15, landing on 0, 15, 30, and 45. All other fields are wildcards.

Common use cases: checking for new email, polling an external API, running a lightweight status check, or flushing a write buffer.

Field Breakdown

Field	Value	Meaning
Minute	`*/15`	Every 15th minute (0, 15, 30, 45)
Hour	`*`	Every hour
Day of month	`*`	Every day
Month	`*`	Every month
Weekday	`*`	Every day of week

// next scheduled runs (UTC)

Next 10 Run Times

Approximate run times starting from the current date. Open in the builder to see exact run times in your timezone.

00:00 00:15 00:30 00:45 01:00 01:15 01:30 01:45 02:00 02:15

// copy-paste ready examples

Platform Examples

Linux / Unix crontab

*/15 * * * * /path/to/script.sh

GitHub Actions

on:
  schedule:
    - cron: '*/15 * * * *'

AWS EventBridge

cron(*/15 * * * ? *)

Kubernetes CronJob

spec:
  schedule: "*/15 * * * *"

node-cron (Node.js)

cron.schedule('*/15 * * * *', () => { ... });

APScheduler (Python)

scheduler.add_job(fn, 'cron', minute='*/15')

// related expressions

Related Cron Expressions

Using this cadence in CI? See GitHub Actions cron schedule docs and gotchas for UTC behavior, queue delays, and minimum interval limits.

// frequently asked questions

FAQ

What does */15 mean in cron?

*/15 in the minute field means every 15 minutes. Cron fires at minutes 0, 15, 30, and 45 of every hour.

How do I run a cron job every quarter hour?

Use */15 * * * * — this is the standard expression for every quarter-hour.

Can I run a cron job every 20 minutes?

Yes: */20 * * * * fires at minutes 0, 20, and 40 of every hour.

Build or explain any cron expression

Use the free visual builder — paste an expression for a plain-English explanation, or click your way to a schedule. See the next 10 run times. No login.

Open CronBuilder →

Cron Expression Every 15 Minutes*/15 * * * *

How */15 * * * * Works