Schedule n8n Workflows Like a Pro: Cron Jobs Explained Simply

Quick answer: Cron syntax looks scary but follows simple patterns. Use my 10 ready-to-use examples and never write cron from scratch.

What is Cron?

Cron = Time-based job scheduler

In n8n: Schedule node triggers workflows at specific times.

Examples:

• Daily sales report at 8am
• Weekly backup every Sunday at 2am
• Monthly invoice generation on 1st of month

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The Easy Way: Use n8n’s Visual Interface

n8n Schedule node has two modes:

Mode 1: Simple (No Cron Required)

Click “Add Trigger Times” and select:

• Interval: Every X minutes/hours/days
• Days: Which days of week
• Time: What time

Example: “Every Monday at 9am”

• Mode: Days of Week
• Days: Monday
• Hour: 9
• Minute: 0

✅ Recommended for beginners

Mode 2: Cron Expression (Advanced)

Enter cron syntax manually for complex schedules.

When to use: Need patterns like “first Monday of month” or “weekdays only at 8am and 5pm”

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Cron Syntax Explained (5 Minutes)

Cron format:

* * * * *
│ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ └─ Day of Week (0-6, Sunday=0)
│ │ │ └─── Month (1-12)
│ │ └───── Day of Month (1-31)
│ └─────── Hour (0-23)
└───────── Minute (0-59)

Special characters:

• * = Every (e.g., * in minute = every minute)
• , = List (e.g., 1,15 = 1st and 15th)
• - = Range (e.g., 1-5 = Monday through Friday)
• / = Step (e.g., */15 = every 15 minutes)

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10 Ready-to-Use Cron Examples

1. Every Day at 8am

0 8 * * *

Use for: Daily sales reports, morning emails

2. Every Hour

0 * * * *

Use for: Hourly data sync, checking for new items

3. Every 15 Minutes

*/15 * * * *

Use for: Real-time monitoring, frequent checks

4. Every Monday at 9am

0 9 * * 1

Use for: Weekly reports, team standup reminders

5. Every Sunday at 2am (Backups)

0 2 * * 0

Use for: Weekly backups, database maintenance

6. First Day of Month at 8am

0 8 1 * *

Use for: Monthly invoices, subscription renewals

7. Weekdays at 5pm (Mon-Fri)

0 17 * * 1-5

Use for: End-of-day reports, time tracking

8. Every 6 Hours

0 */6 * * *

Use for: Periodic syncs, regular checks

9. Twice Daily (8am and 8pm)

0 8,20 * * *

Use for: Morning and evening summaries

10. Last Day of Month

0 8 28-31 * *

(Runs on last few days, filter in workflow for actual last day) Use for: Month-end reports

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Common Scheduling Patterns

Business Hours Only

Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm, every hour:

0 9-17 * * 1-5

Outside Business Hours

Weekdays at 6pm, weekends anytime:

0 18 * * 1-5

Quarterly Reports

First day of Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4:

0 8 1 1,4,7,10 *

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Testing Your Schedule

n8n’s testing feature:

1. Set up Schedule node
2. Click “Execute Node”
3. Workflow runs immediately (ignoring schedule)
4. Check output is correct
5. Save and activate

Timezone warning: n8n uses UTC by default. Adjust for your timezone.

Example:

• You want 8am EST (UTC-5)
• Set cron to 1pm UTC: 0 13 * * *

Pro tip: Use n8n Cloud or set VPS timezone to match yours.

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Real-World Workflows

Daily Sales Report (8am)

Cron: 0 8 * * *

Schedule
→ Get yesterday's orders
→ Calculate total revenue
→ Format as HTML
→ Email to owner

Weekly Backup (Sunday 2am)

Cron: 0 2 * * 0

Schedule
→ Export database
→ Compress file
→ Upload to Google Drive
→ Delete old backups (>30 days)

Hourly Inventory Check

Cron: 0 * * * *

Schedule
→ Check inventory levels
→ Filter items < 10 in stock
→ Send Slack alert if any found

Monthly Invoice Generation (1st at 8am)

Cron: 0 8 1 * *

Schedule
→ Get all active subscriptions
→ Generate invoices
→ Send via email
→ Log to accounting software

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Troubleshooting

Problem: Workflow not running at scheduled time

✅ Check workflow is activated (toggle in top-right) ✅ Verify timezone settings ✅ Check execution log for errors ✅ Ensure n8n instance is running

Problem: Runs too frequently

✅ Double-check cron syntax (use validator) ✅ Verify you didn’t use * in minute field unintentionally

Problem: Missed execution

n8n doesn’t catch up missed runs. If server was down at scheduled time, that execution is skipped.

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Best Practices

1. Avoid resource-heavy workflows during business hours Schedule backups, large exports for nights/weekends.

2. Add error handling Every scheduled workflow should have error notifications.

3. Log executions Add a node to log start/completion to Google Sheets.

4. Test first Always test manually before activating schedule.

5. Document schedules Add a sticky note in n8n explaining what the workflow does and when it runs.

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Cron Generators (Easy Mode)

Don’t want to write cron by hand?

Use these free tools:

• crontab.guru - Visual cron builder
• crontab-generator.org - Simple forms
• cronmaker.com - Explains existing cron

Process:

1. Describe schedule in plain English
2. Generator creates cron expression
3. Copy into n8n Schedule node
4. Test and activate

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FAQ

Q: What timezone does n8n use?

UTC by default. n8n Cloud: Choose timezone in settings. Self-hosted: Set VPS timezone.

Q: Can I run workflow at multiple times?

Yes. Use comma-separated values: 0 8,12,17 * * * (8am, noon, 5pm)

Q: What if I need “business days only” excluding holidays?

Schedule for weekdays, add Function node to check holiday calendar and exit if holiday.

Q: How precise is n8n scheduling?

Within 1-2 minutes. Don’t rely on it for second-precision tasks.

Q: Can I pause a schedule temporarily?

Yes. Deactivate workflow (toggle off). Reactivate when ready.

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Related:

• 5 Essential n8n Workflows
• Deploy n8n Guide

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About: I’m Mike Holownych. I help entrepreneurs automate their businesses with n8n. Learn more →