Cron Expression: Every Minute (* * * * *)
The expression * * * * * is the most permissive cron schedule possible: every field is a wildcard, so the job fires at the start of every minute, of every hour, of every day. It is the canonical "run constantly" schedule.
Running a task every minute is useful for tight polling, health checks, and near-real-time queue draining, but it can be wasteful for heavier jobs. The breakdown and next run times below are computed live in your browser.
* * * * *Every minute.
6/24/2026, 7:01:00 AM6/24/2026, 7:02:00 AM6/24/2026, 7:03:00 AM6/24/2026, 7:04:00 AM6/24/2026, 7:05:00 AM| Field | Value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
Minute | * | every minute |
Hour | * | every hour |
Day of month | * | every day |
Month | * | every month |
Day of week | * | every weekday |
* * * * *→Runs at the top of every minute, 1440 times a day.Use */5 * * * * instead if once a minute is too frequent.
Frequently asked questions
What does * * * * * mean in cron?
Each asterisk is a wildcard for one field (minute, hour, day of month, month, day of week). With all five set to *, the schedule matches every minute, so the job runs 60 times an hour.
How often does * * * * * run?
Once per minute — that is 60 times an hour and 1440 times per day. It is the highest frequency a standard five-field cron can express.
Is running a cron job every minute a good idea?
It is fine for lightweight polling or health checks, but for heavier work it can overload the system or overlap with the previous run. Consider a longer interval or a queue if each run takes more than a few seconds.