Cron Job Every 12 hours

Trigger a task twice a day, every twelve hours. Use the cron string 0 */12 * * *, see the next 5 execution times, and copy Python, Node.js, Bash and n8n snippets.

Quick Answers

What does the "Every 12 hours" cron expression mean?
This cron expression is "0 */12 * * *", which in plain English means: Trigger a task twice a day, every twelve hours..
When will this cron expression run next?
With the expression "0 */12 * * *", the next execution times are Sat, Aug 15, 2026, 12:00:00 AM UTC, Sat, Aug 15, 2026, 12:00:00 PM UTC, Sun, Aug 16, 2026, 12:00:00 AM UTC.
How do I use this cron expression?
Copy the exact string into crontab, cron triggers, or any scheduler such as GitHub Actions, n8n or Docker. Pre-built code snippets for Python, Node.js, Bash, Docker, GitHub Actions and n8n are included on this page.
Explore the full Cron Cheat Sheet with all 50 schedules
Cron Expression
Copy this exact string into crontab, cron triggers, or schedulers.
0 */12 * * *

Human readable

Trigger a task twice a day, every twelve hours.

Next 5 execution times

  1. 1Sat, Aug 15, 2026, 12:00:00 AM UTC
  2. 2Sat, Aug 15, 2026, 12:00:00 PM UTC
  3. 3Sun, Aug 16, 2026, 12:00:00 AM UTC
  4. 4Sun, Aug 16, 2026, 12:00:00 PM UTC
  5. 5Mon, Aug 17, 2026, 12:00:00 AM UTC
Python
from crontab import CronTab
from datetime import datetime

# Install: pip install python-crontab
cron = CronTab(user=True)
job = cron.new(command="/usr/bin/python3 /var/www/job_every-12-hours.py", comment="scheduled by crongen")
job.setall("0 */12 * * *")
cron.write()

print(f"Installed: 0 */12 * * * -> /usr/bin/python3 /var/www/job_every-12-hours.py")

Related schedules

Every minute

* * * * *

Every 2 minutes

*/2 * * * *

Every 5 minutes

*/5 * * * *

Every 10 minutes

*/10 * * * *

Every 15 minutes

*/15 * * * *

Every 20 minutes

*/20 * * * *

About the "every 12 hours" cron schedule

The "every 12 hours" cron schedule uses the expression "0 */12 * * *". This schedule fires twice per day.

In plain English the cron string "0 */12 * * *" means: On the hour, every 12 hours.

This cadence is a common choice for long-running build or maintenance pipelines that tolerate multi-hour gaps and aggregating logs or telemetry into batched reports. The schedule is deliberately kept simple: copy the string into any cron-aware scheduler (crontab, Vercel Cron, GitHub Actions, n8n, Docker or Kubernetes CronJob) and the run will repeat automatically — steady, with no manual triggering.

Frequently asked questions