// how it works
How 0 * * * * Works
0 * * * * fires at the top of every hour. The 0 in the minute field pins the run to minute zero; the * in the hour field means "every hour." This is one of the most common cron schedules, used for hourly reports, cache invalidation, token refresh, and heartbeat checks.
Equivalent shorthand: @hourly (supported by most cron implementations).
Field Breakdown
| Field | Value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Minute | 0 | At minute zero (top of the hour) |
| Hour | * | Every hour (0–23) |
| 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
01:00
02:00
03:00
04:00
05:00
06:00
07:00
08:00
09:00
// copy-paste ready examples
Platform Examples
Linux / Unix crontab
0 * * * * /path/to/script.sh
# or use the shorthand:
@hourly /path/to/script.shGitHub Actions
on:
schedule:
- cron: '0 * * * *'AWS EventBridge
cron(0 * * * ? *)Kubernetes CronJob
spec:
schedule: "0 * * * *"node-cron (Node.js)
cron.schedule('0 * * * *', () => { ... });APScheduler (Python)
scheduler.add_job(fn, 'cron', minute=0)// related expressions
Related Cron Expressions
Running hourly schedules in GitHub? Check the GitHub Actions cron guide for UTC-only timing and delayed execution behavior at peak load.
// frequently asked questions
FAQ
What is @hourly in cron?
@hourly is a shorthand for 0 * * * *. It is supported by most Unix cron implementations (vixie-cron, cronie, fcron). Not all schedulers (e.g. AWS EventBridge) support shorthands — use 0 * * * * to be safe.
How do I run a cron job at a specific minute past every hour?
Replace the 0 with your target minute. For example, 30 * * * * runs at half past every hour.
Does 0 * * * * run at midnight?
Yes — it runs at 00:00 (midnight), 01:00, 02:00, and so on through 23:00. In total it fires 24 times per day.
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 →