AWS Scheduler
Build recurring AWS EventBridge schedules with cron or rate expressions. Validate 6-field AWS cron syntax, convert local time to UTC, and get ready-to-use expressions for Lambda, ECS, and other scheduled workloads.
How AWS EventBridge scheduling works
AWS EventBridge supports two schedule expression types: cron() for calendar-based schedules and rate() for fixed intervals. AWS cron uses six fields: minutes, hours, day-of-month, month, day-of-week, and year.
cron(0 9 ? * MON-FRI *) # 9:00 AM UTC, Monday through Friday rate(5 minutes) # Every 5 minutes
AWS Scheduler tools
- AWS Cron Expression Generator — build and validate 6-field EventBridge cron.
- AWS Rate Expression Generator — create fixed-interval rate expressions.
- Cron Validator — validate standard 5-field cron when you are not using AWS syntax.
- Cron Timezone Converter — convert a desired local time to UTC.
- Next Run Calculator — inspect upcoming schedule times.
Common AWS Scheduler examples
| Schedule | Expression |
|---|---|
| Every 5 minutes | rate(5 minutes) |
| Every hour | rate(1 hour) |
| Every day at midnight UTC | cron(0 0 ? * * *) |
| Weekdays at 9 AM UTC | cron(0 9 ? * MON-FRI *) |
| Every Monday at 8 AM UTC | cron(0 8 ? * MON *) |
| First day of every month | cron(0 0 1 * ? *) |
AWS cron uses UTC
EventBridge cron schedules use UTC. If you need a workflow at a local time, convert the target time to UTC before creating the expression. For example, 9:00 AM IST is 03:30 UTC, so a weekday schedule is cron(30 3 ? * MON-FRI *).
For regions affected by daylight saving time, review the UTC conversion when the local offset changes.
Why does AWS cron use ?
AWS EventBridge requires either day-of-month or day-of-week to be ?. This is one of the biggest differences from traditional Linux cron and a common source of validation errors.
AWS cron vs rate expressions
Use rate() when you only care about a repeating interval, such as every 5 minutes or every hour. Use cron() when you need a calendar schedule such as weekdays at 9 AM or the first day of each month.
More AWS EventBridge cron help
Read the AWS EventBridge cron expression guide or browse 20+ AWS EventBridge cron examples before deploying a schedule.