Azure Functions Timer (NCRONTAB) Generator
Azure Functions timer triggers use NCRONTAB — a six-field cron format where the first field is seconds, not minutes. That single extra field is the most common Azure scheduling bug: an expression you think runs every five minutes actually runs every five seconds.
Build an NCRONTAB expression below and copy the TimerTrigger attribute into your function.
Expression
Tip: press Ctrl+Enter to copy
Presets
Visual Builder
Description
At 09:00 AM, Monday through Friday
Azure Functions cron syntax
| Sec | Min | Hour | Day | Month | DOW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 9 | * | * | 1-5 |
- Six fields: Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Day-of-month, Month, Day-of-week.
- Day-of-week is 0-6 with Sunday=0; three-letter names like Mon and Jan are also accepted.
- Only *, ranges, lists, and step (/) operators are supported — no ?, L, W, or #.
- Used as [TimerTrigger("...")] (C#) or in the schedule binding (other languages).
- Runs in UTC by default; set WEBSITE_TIME_ZONE to change it (not supported on Linux Consumption / Flex plans).
Azure Functions cron examples
Click any example to load it into the generator above.
Monitor your Azure Functions cron jobs
A cron expression only controls when a job is scheduled — not whether it actually ran. These tools alert you when a scheduled job fails, runs late, or never starts.
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Frequently asked questions
Why does my Azure timer run every 5 seconds instead of 5 minutes?
NCRONTAB's first field is seconds, so */5 * * * * (read as a 5-field cron) becomes a 6-field schedule that fires every 5 seconds. To run every 5 minutes, put 0 in seconds and */5 in minutes: 0 */5 * * * *.
How many fields does an Azure Functions cron expression have?
Six: Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Day-of-month, Month, Day-of-week. This is one more than standard Unix cron because of the leading seconds field.
What timezone does an Azure timer trigger use?
UTC by default. Set the WEBSITE_TIME_ZONE app setting (e.g. “Eastern Standard Time”) to use another zone, though this is not honored on the Linux Consumption and Flex Consumption plans.