Cron Expression: 0 */6 * * *
0 */6 * * *
Run every 6 hours
Field Breakdown
| Value | Field | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | minute | at minute 0 |
| */6 | hour | every 6 hours (0,6,12,18) |
| * | day | every day |
| * | month | every month |
| * | weekday | every weekday |
*/6 in the hour field fires at hours 0, 6, 12, and 18 — four times per day. Combined with minute 0, the job runs at midnight, 6am, noon, and 6pm.
# Every 6 hours: 0 */6 * * * # Offset to avoid the midnight pile-up: 30 1,7,13,19 * * * # 1:30am, 7:30am, 1:30pm, 7:30pm
Related Expressions
0 */6 * * *
Every 6 hours at :00
0 */4 * * *
Every 4 hours (6x/day)
0 */8 * * *
Every 8 hours (3x/day)
0 */12 * * *
Every 12 hours (2x/day)
30 */6 * * *
Every 6 hours at :30
Common Use Cases
- Incremental backups
- Data syncs
- Cache refresh
- Certificate pre-checks
- Remote config pulls
Paste your crontab to visualise every job on a 24-hour timeline — detect overlaps, collisions, and get flock-safe versions.
Open Cron Visualiser →Frequently Asked Questions
What times does 0 */6 * * * run?
It fires at 00:00, 06:00, 12:00, and 18:00 every day — four times per day, 6 hours apart.
How do I offset a 6-hourly job away from midnight?
Use an explicit hour list with an offset minute: 30 1,7,13,19 * * * runs at 01:30, 07:30, 13:30, and 19:30 — same 6-hour interval but avoiding the midnight load spike.