Cron: Every 2 hours (0 */2 * * *)
Plain-English meaning, run times, and visual editor for the 0 */2 * * * cron schedule. No sign-up required.
What does 0 */2 * * * mean?
The cron expression 0 */2 * * * translates to “At minute 0, every 2 hours”. It is one of the most commonly used schedules (every 2 hours).
Minute 0 combined with the `*/2` step in the hour field means the job runs at midnight, 02:00, 04:00 and on through the day - twelve times in 24 hours, always on even-numbered hours. It is the go-to when hourly is more often than you need but daily is too coarse: think periodic backups, syncing with a partner system, or recomputing something moderately expensive. Because the hour step counts from 0, the runs land on 00, 02, 04… rather than odd hours - shift the start by writing `0 1-23/2 * * *` if you want the odd ones instead.
Use the builder above to tweak this expression and instantly see how the description and the next run times change.
Example runs from Jan 1, 2026 (UTC)
- Thu Jan 01 2026, 02:00 UTC
- Thu Jan 01 2026, 04:00 UTC
- Thu Jan 01 2026, 06:00 UTC
- Thu Jan 01 2026, 08:00 UTC
- Thu Jan 01 2026, 10:00 UTC
Related cron expressions
Frequently Asked Questions
About cron expressions and this generator.
It schedules a job to run every 2 hours at the start of the hour (e.g. 12:00, 2:00, 4:00, etc.).
Use "0 1-23/2 * * *" to start at hour 1 and step by 2 hours.