How do I use "*/5 * * * *" in a real crontab?

Paste the expression */5 * * * * into crontab followed by your command, e.g. */5 * * * * /your/absolute/command. The scheduler will then run the job on this exact cadence (Every 5 minutes).

What does "*/5 * * * *" mean?

The five fields of */5 * * * * expand to: Every 5 minutes.

Is "*/5 * * * *" good for short-interval jobs?

Yes — this cadence fires 288 times a day, so it suits lightweight jobs like health checks or fast data refreshes. Keep the job itself quick so runs do not overlap.

Does "*/5 * * * *" run in UTC or local time?

Classic crontab runs in the server's local timezone. Managed schedulers like Vercel Cron, AWS EventBridge and GitHub Actions default to UTC, so adjust the hours if you need a local-time equivalent there.

Cron Job Every 5 minutes

The classic monitoring and sync interval — run every 5 minutes, 288 times a day. Use the cron string */5 * * * *, see the next 5 execution times, and copy Python, Node.js, Bash and n8n snippets.

Quick Answers

What does the "Every 5 minutes" cron expression mean?: This cron expression is "*/5 * * * *", which in plain English means: The classic monitoring and sync interval — run every 5 minutes, 288 times a day..
When will this cron expression run next?: With the expression "*/5 * * * *", the next execution times are Fri, Aug 14, 2026, 12:45:00 PM UTC, Fri, Aug 14, 2026, 12:50:00 PM UTC, Fri, Aug 14, 2026, 12:55:00 PM 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.

*/5 * * * *

Human readable

The classic monitoring and sync interval — run every 5 minutes, 288 times a day.

Next 5 execution times

1Fri, Aug 14, 2026, 12:45:00 PM UTC
2Fri, Aug 14, 2026, 12:50:00 PM UTC
3Fri, Aug 14, 2026, 12:55:00 PM UTC
4Fri, Aug 14, 2026, 01:00:00 PM UTC
5Fri, Aug 14, 2026, 01:05:00 PM 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-5-minutes.py", comment="scheduled by crongen")
job.setall("*/5 * * * *")
cron.write()

print(f"Installed: */5 * * * * -> /usr/bin/python3 /var/www/job_every-5-minutes.py")

Related schedules

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Every 15 minutes

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Every 30 minutes

About the "every 5 minutes" cron schedule

The "every 5 minutes" cron schedule uses the expression "*/5 * * * *". This schedule fires 288 times per day, around the clock.

In plain English the cron string "*/5 * * * *" means: Every 5 minutes.

This cadence is a common choice for up-time monitoring and health checks where a short gap between alerts matters and queue workers and background jobs that must react to new data quickly. 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.