Crontab Every 10 Minutes (*/10 * * * *)
Run a cron job every 10 minutes. A moderate frequency for monitoring, data polling, and cache refresh tasks.
Detailed Explanation
Running a Cron Job Every 10 Minutes
The expression */10 * * * * runs at minutes 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 of every hour. This provides a balanced polling frequency.
Field Breakdown
| Field | Value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Minute | */10 | Every 10th minute |
| Hour | * | Every hour |
| Day of Month | * | Every day |
| Month | * | Every month |
| Day of Week | * | Every day |
Execution Frequency
The job runs 144 times per day (6 times per hour x 24 hours). This is a practical middle ground between every-5-minutes (288/day) and every-15-minutes (96/day).
Step Value Arithmetic
The step operator always starts from the minimum value of the field:
| Expression | Minutes | Count per hour |
|---|---|---|
| */5 | 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, ...55 | 12 |
| */10 | 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 | 6 |
| */15 | 0, 15, 30, 45 | 4 |
| */20 | 0, 20, 40 | 3 |
| */30 | 0, 30 | 2 |
Equivalent Syntax
*/10 * * * * is equivalent to 0,10,20,30,40,50 * * * *. The step syntax is preferred for readability.
Example
*/10 * * * * /scripts/check-queue.sh
Use Case
10-minute intervals are well-suited for queue depth monitoring, data warehouse ETL staging, DNS propagation checks, CDN purge verification, temperature/sensor data collection, and any moderate-frequency polling task.