{
  "id": 17342764,
  "title": "What cron expression runs every 5 minutes?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/what-cron-expression-runs-every-5-minutes",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-31T05:18:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dev.to",
    "slug": "dev-to",
    "url": "https://dev.to/ameenusman/what-cron-expression-runs-every-5-minutes-1aa"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The cron expression that runs every five minutes is */5 * * * * . This expression specifies that the job should execute at minutes 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, and 55 of every hour, regardless of the day, month, or day of the week. Saving the crontab file does not start the countdown; the job waits for the next minute that matches the expression. Classic cron, such as Vixie cron and cronie, does not delay starting the next run if the previous process is still running, so a six-minute command would overlap itself. The five fields in the */5 * * * * expression are minutes, hours, day of the month, month, and day of the week, all using stars to indicate every possible value. The step of 5 minutes is applied to the minute field, starting at 0 and incrementing by 5 until 55, resulting in 12 runs per hour.",
  "summary": "A cleanup job was supposed to run every five minutes. The crontab was saved at 10:03. The log showed 10:05, then 10:10. That is not a late start. The expression is tied to the clock, at minutes 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, and 55. Saving the file does not start a countdown. Classic cron also does not hold the next start while the previous process is still running, so a six-minute…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": "Using the step operator in the minute field allows for precise interval scheduling, though users must account for potential process overlaps when command durations exceed the specified execution frequency.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}