0 */12 * * *
Open in the generator
*/12 in the hour field yields 0 and 12. If you need two runs at times other than midnight and noon, a list is clearer: 0 8,20 * * * runs at 08:00 and 20:00.
A twelve-hour cadence is common for dependency-vulnerability scans and for syncing data that changes slowly but must never be more than half a day old.
Field by field
| Value | Field | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Minute 0–59 | at minute 0 |
| */12 | Hour 0–23 | every 12 hours |
| * | Day of month 1–31 | every day of the month |
| * | Month 1–12 or JAN–DEC | every month |
| * | Day of week 0–7 or SUN–SAT (0 and 7 are Sunday) | every day of the week |
Next run times
Computed in your browser from the current time, so you can check the schedule against a clock you trust.
Your timezone (local)
- Needs JavaScript.
UTC (GitHub Actions, Kubernetes default)
Variations
0 8,20 * * *twice a day at 08:00 and 20:00 · see page0 0 * * *once a day at midnight · see page30 6,18 * * *twice a day at 06:30 and 18:30 · try it
Where this expression works
- Linux and macOS crontab: as written; times follow the system timezone.
- Kubernetes CronJob: the same five fields; UTC unless
spec.timeZoneis set. - GitHub Actions: the same syntax in UTC, minimum interval five minutes, no
@shortcuts. - AWS EventBridge: a different six-field syntax; do not paste this expression unchanged.
Full platform comparison · Cron tutorial
FAQ
Is 0 0,12 * * * the same as 0 */12 * * *?
Yes. Both fire at 00:00 and 12:00.