Cron Every 2 Hours
Configure a cron job to run every 2 hours using 0 */2 * * *. Detailed field breakdown, scheduling tips, and real-world application examples.
Cron Expression
0 */2 * * *
Field Breakdown
| Field | Value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Minute | 0 | At 0 |
| Hour | */2 | Every 2nd hour |
| Day of Month | * | Every day of the month (1–31) |
| Month | * | Every month (1–12) |
| Day of Week | * | Every day of the week (Sun–Sat) |
Detailed Explanation
The cron expression 0 */2 * * * schedules a task to run once every two hours, at the top of every even-numbered hour.
Field-by-field breakdown:
0(Minute): At minute 0 only. The task fires at the start of the hour.*/2(Hour): Every 2nd hour, starting from hour 0. The step value/2triggers execution at hours 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22.*(Day of Month): Every day from 1 through 31. No restriction on the day of the month.*(Month): Every month from January through December. No restriction on the month.*(Day of Week): Every day of the week from Sunday through Saturday. No restriction on the day.
This means your task will execute 12 times per day, once every two hours starting at midnight. This schedule is well suited for medium-frequency tasks that need more breathing room between runs than an hourly schedule provides. It balances regularity with resource conservation, making it a solid choice for data synchronization and report generation. This expression is supported by standard cron on Linux/macOS, as well as cloud services like AWS CloudWatch, Google Cloud Scheduler, and GitHub Actions.
Use Case
Useful for running a web scraper that collects competitor pricing data from multiple sources without overwhelming their servers.
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Every 2 hours
Next 10 Executions
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