zeenie-ai Cron Scheduler Tool
Schedule recurring tasks using cron expressions.
How It Works
This skill provides instructions for the Cron Scheduler tool node. Connect the Cron Scheduler node to Zeenie's input-tools handle or use as a workflow trigger.
cron_scheduler Tool
Create recurring schedules using cron expressions.
Schema Fields
| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| expression | string | Yes | Cron expression (5 fields) |
| timezone | string | No | Timezone (default: UTC) |
Cron Expression Format
* * * * *
│ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ └── Day of week (0-7, Sun=0 or 7)
│ │ │ └──── Month (1-12)
│ │ └────── Day of month (1-31)
│ └──────── Hour (0-23)
└────────── Minute (0-59)
Special Characters
| Character | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
* |
Any value | * * * * * (every minute) |
, |
List of values | 1,15 * * * * (minute 1 and 15) |
- |
Range | 1-5 * * * * (minutes 1-5) |
/ |
Step values | */15 * * * * (every 15 minutes) |
Common Patterns
| Pattern | Description | Cron Expression |
|---|---|---|
| Every minute | Runs each minute | * * * * * |
| Every 5 minutes | Runs at :00, :05, :10... | */5 * * * * |
| Every 15 minutes | Runs at :00, :15, :30, :45 | */15 * * * * |
| Every hour | Runs at minute 0 | 0 * * * * |
| Every day at 9 AM | Morning job | 0 9 * * * |
| Every day at midnight | Nightly job | 0 0 * * * |
| Weekdays at 9 AM | Mon-Fri morning | 0 9 * * 1-5 |
| Every Monday | Weekly on Monday | 0 0 * * 1 |
| First of month | Monthly job | 0 0 1 * * |
| Every Sunday at 6 PM | Weekly Sunday evening | 0 18 * * 0 |
| Multiple times daily | 8am, noon, 6pm | 0 8,12,18 * * * |
Examples
Every day at 9 AM:
{
"expression": "0 9 * * *",
"timezone": "America/New_York"
}
Every 30 minutes:
{
"expression": "*/30 * * * *"
}
Weekdays at 6 PM:
{
"expression": "0 18 * * 1-5",
"timezone": "Europe/London"
}
Every Monday at 10 AM:
{
"expression": "0 10 * * 1",
"timezone": "Asia/Tokyo"
}
First day of each month:
{
"expression": "0 0 1 * *"
}
Response Format
Schedule created:
{
"success": true,
"message": "Cron schedule created",
"expression": "0 9 * * *",
"timezone": "America/New_York",
"next_run": "2025-01-31T09:00:00-05:00",
"description": "At 09:00 AM, every day"
}
Schedule triggered:
{
"success": true,
"triggered": true,
"message": "Cron schedule triggered",
"expression": "0 9 * * *",
"triggered_at": "2025-01-30T09:00:00Z"
}
Error Response
{
"error": "Invalid cron expression: too few fields"
}
Timezone Reference
| Timezone | Description |
|---|---|
UTC |
Universal Time (default) |
America/New_York |
Eastern US |
America/Los_Angeles |
Pacific US |
Europe/London |
UK |
Europe/Paris |
Central Europe |
Asia/Tokyo |
Japan |
Asia/Shanghai |
China |
Australia/Sydney |
Australia Eastern |
Use Cases
| Use Case | Expression | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Daily report | 0 9 * * * |
Generate daily reports |
| Hourly sync | 0 * * * * |
Sync data hourly |
| Weekly backup | 0 2 * * 0 |
Sunday at 2 AM |
| Business hours check | */30 9-17 * * 1-5 |
Every 30 min, 9-5 Mon-Fri |
| Monthly cleanup | 0 0 1 * * |
First of month |
Common Workflows
Daily notification
- Set cron for desired time (e.g.,
0 9 * * *) - Cron triggers → workflow runs
- Send notification to user
Scheduled data sync
- Set cron for sync interval (e.g.,
0 * * * *) - Cron triggers → fetch data
- Process and store data
Weekly report
- Set cron for weekly (e.g.,
0 10 * * 1) - Cron triggers → generate report
- Send report via email/WhatsApp
Workflow-Based Scheduling
In this system, scheduling works through:
- Trigger Node: Use Cron Scheduler as workflow start
- Deployment: Deploy workflow to activate schedule
- Cancellation: Undeploy workflow to stop schedule
Each trigger creates independent workflow runs.
Best Practices
- Use UTC for global: Avoid timezone confusion
- Consider load: Don't schedule many jobs at :00
- Stagger jobs: Use :05, :10 instead of all at :00
- Test expressions: Verify with online cron tools
- Document schedules: Keep track of what runs when
Limitations
- Requires workflow deployment to activate
- Cannot schedule past events
- Minimum granularity is 1 minute
- Complex conditions need multiple schedules
Setup Requirements
- Connect the Cron Scheduler node to Zeenie's
input-toolshandle - Or use as workflow trigger (first node)
- Deploy workflow to activate the schedule
- Undeploy to cancel the schedule