* CronTools
Builder

Jenkins Cron Expression Guide

Jenkins uses standard 5-field cron syntax extended with the H (hash) token for load distribution across agents. H picks a deterministic but arbitrary value per job — ideal for spreading builds to avoid thundering herd.

Live Builder

Valid
MINMinute
0
HRHour
9
DOMDay of Month
*
MONMonth
*
DOWDay of Week
1-5

In plain English

At 09:00 AM, Monday through Friday

English → Cron

Try: "every 5 minutes", "every weekday at 9am", "every Monday at 3pm", "every month on the 1st"

Next 10 Executions

UTC
  1. 1Mon, May 18, 09:00 AM UTCin 3d
  2. 2Tue, May 19, 09:00 AM UTCin 4d
  3. 3Wed, May 20, 09:00 AM UTCin 5d
  4. 4Thu, May 21, 09:00 AM UTCin 6d
  5. 5Fri, May 22, 09:00 AM UTCin 7d
  6. 6Mon, May 25, 09:00 AM UTCin 10d
  7. 7Tue, May 26, 09:00 AM UTCin 11d
  8. 8Wed, May 27, 09:00 AM UTCin 12d
  9. 9Thu, May 28, 09:00 AM UTCin 13d
  10. 10Fri, May 29, 09:00 AM UTCin 14d
crontab entrybash
# Add to crontab with: crontab -e
0 9 * * 1-5    /path/to/your/script.sh

Syntax Overview

Field order

MIN

Minute

HR

Hour

DOM

Day of Month

MON

Month

DOW

Day of Week

H 9 * * 1-5

Example: An error occurred when generating the expression description. Check the cron expression syntax.

⚠

Jenkins supports an H (hash) token for load distribution. H means "a hashed value within the allowed range" — useful for spreading builds across agents.

Common Expressions

H 9 * * 1-5—Once per weekday at some time in the 9am hour (hashed per job)
H/15 * * * *—Every 15 minutes, with each job starting at a consistent offset
H H * * *—Once a day at a hashed time (spreads daily builds across the day)
0 9 * * 1-5—Every weekday at exactly 9:00am (standard cron, no hashing)
H H(0-7) * * *—Once per day during the 0–7am window, hashed per job
@weekly—Once per week (same as @weekly alias)

Frequently Asked Questions

What does H mean in Jenkins cron syntax? ▾
"H" means "a hash value based on the job name, within the allowed range for that field." It spreads builds across agents instead of having every job run at :00 exactly. H in the minute field picks any minute 0–59; H(0-15) picks a minute 0–15.
Is H random or consistent? ▾
"H" is deterministic — the same job always gets the same hashed offset. It's pseudo-random relative to other jobs but completely consistent for a given job name.
When should I use H vs a fixed minute? ▾
Use H when many builds could pile up at the same time (e.g., all daily builds at midnight). Use a fixed minute when you need precise timing — like a job that must run before 9:01am to meet a business deadline.
Can I use H in all 5 fields? ▾
Yes — you can use H in any field. "H H H H H" is valid but unusual. Common usage is "H H * * 1-5" for a daily weekday build at a consistent but non-conflicting time.
Does the Jenkins cron builder on crontools.dev support the H token? ▾
The builder shows the standard 5-field view in Jenkins mode. Because H is a Jenkins-specific extension with no universal equivalent, expressions using H are parsed with H treated as the beginning of the allowed range for documentation purposes.