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Cron Every 10 Minutes: */10 * * * *

The cron expression for every 10 minutes is */10 * * * *. It runs 144 times per day, and the table below explains every field.

  • Cron expression
    */10 * * * *
  • Schedule
    every 10 minutes
  • Runs per day
    144
  • Runs per 30 days
    4,320
  • systemd OnCalendar
    *-*-* *:0/10:00
  • AWS EventBridge
    cron(0/10 * * * ? *)

What */10 * * * * means

FieldValueMeaning
Minute*/10every 10th minute, starting at minute 0
Hour*every hour
Day of month*every day
Month*every month
Day of week*every day of the week

The five fields of a standard cron expression are, in order: minute, hour, day of month, month and day of week.

When every 10 minutes runs

The first run times in a day are: 00:00, 00:10, 00:20, 00:30, 00:40, 00:50. Over time that is 144 per day, 1,008 per week, about 4,320 per 30 days and 52,560 per year.

Copy-ready syntax for every 10 minutes

crontab

*/10 * * * * /path/to/script.sh >> /var/log/job.log 2>&1

GitHub Actions

on:
  schedule:
    - cron: '*/10 * * * *'

GitHub Actions runs scheduled workflows in UTC and may start them a few minutes late when GitHub is busy.

Kubernetes CronJob

apiVersion: batch/v1
kind: CronJob
spec:
  schedule: "*/10 * * * *"
  concurrencyPolicy: Forbid

Setting concurrencyPolicy: Forbid stops a new run from starting while the previous one is still going.

systemd timer

[Timer]
OnCalendar=*-*-* *:0/10:00
Persistent=true

AWS EventBridge

cron(0/10 * * * ? *)

EventBridge cron has six fields and needs a ? in either the day-of-month or the day-of-week field. The simpler rate(10 minutes) form works for fixed intervals.

When to use every 10 minutes

Database replication lag checks typically run every ten minutes to ensure secondary nodes stay close to the primary. Inventory management systems also use this frequency to update stock counts across regional warehouses.

What can go wrong

A job scheduled this frequently might miss its execution window if the server undergoes a brief reboot or maintenance. Because the gap is short, administrators often fail to notice these missed runs promptly.

Cron uses the time zone of the machine or service running it, so check whether that is UTC or local time before you rely on the clock times above.

Other common schedules

FAQ

What is the cron expression for every 10 minutes?

Use */10 * * * *. It is the standard five-field form accepted by Linux crontab, Kubernetes CronJobs and GitHub Actions.

How many times a day does */10 * * * * run?

144 times per day, or 4,320 over 30 days.

How do I test a cron expression?

Build it in the cron builder, which explains each field in plain English and lists the next run times.

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