parse_cron
Parse cron expressions to get next scheduled execution times and a plain-English description. Helps validate jobs, explain schedules, and debug scheduler configuration.
Instructions
Parse a cron expression and return next execution times with a human description.
Accepts standard 5-field cron syntax (minute hour day month weekday) and
the extended 6-field format (with seconds prefix). Returns the next several
scheduled times and a plain-English description of the schedule. Useful for
validating cron jobs, explaining schedules to non-technical stakeholders, or
debugging scheduler configuration.
Args:
expression: Cron expression to parse. Supports:
5-field: '0 9 * * 1' (every Monday at 09:00)
6-field: '0 0 9 * * 1' (with leading seconds field)
Special strings: '@daily', '@weekly', '@monthly', '@hourly'
Ranges: '0 9-17 * * 1-5' (hourly 9am-5pm on weekdays)
Step values: '*/15 * * * *' (every 15 minutes)
Returns:
description: Plain-English schedule description.
next_runs: List of the next 5 scheduled UTC datetime strings.
fields: Parsed cron fields with each component's meaning.
timezone: Assumes UTC unless a POSIX TZ string is prepended.
Input Schema
TableJSON Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| expression | Yes |