Every 5 Minutes
Runs the job every 5 minutes at :00, :05, :10, :15, and so on throughout every hour. The */5 syntax means 'every 5th value' in the minute field. This is one of the most commonly used cron intervals, balancing frequency with resource efficiency.
*/5 * * * * What is the cron expression for Every 5 Minutes?
The cron expression for Every 5 Minutes is */5 * * * *. This five-field cron schedule uses the format minute, hour, day-of-month, month, and day-of-week. Runs the job every 5 minutes at :00, :05, :10, :15, and so on throughout every hour. The */5 syntax means 'every 5th value' in the minute field. This is one of the most commonly used cron intervals, balancing frequency with resource efficiency. Common use cases include api data polling and metrics collection.
Field Breakdown
Example Next Run Times
- 1.
2026-04-05 12:00 - 2.
2026-04-05 12:05 - 3.
2026-04-05 12:10 - 4.
2026-04-05 12:15 - 5.
2026-04-05 12:20
Common Use Cases
- ✓ API data polling
- ✓ Metrics collection
- ✓ Email queue processing
- ✓ Status page updates
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the */ syntax mean in cron?
The */N syntax means 'every Nth value.' So */5 in the minute field means every 5th minute (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55). It is equivalent to writing 0,5,10,15,20,25,30,35,40,45,50,55.
Does */5 always start at minute 0?
Yes, */5 divides the range 0-59 into steps of 5, always starting at 0. It runs at :00, :05, :10, etc. If you need it to start at a different offset, use a list like 2,7,12,17,22,27,32,37,42,47,52,57.
How many times does this run per day?
It runs 12 times per hour (60/5) times 24 hours, which equals 288 executions per day.