Cron Expression for Every 2 Hours
Run a cron job every 2 hours using 0 */2 * * *. Suitable for medium-frequency tasks that do not need hourly execution.
Expression
0 */2 * * * Every 2 hours at minute 0
Use Cases
- • Running incremental database backups
- • Refreshing search engine sitemaps
- • Aggregating metrics from multiple sources
- • Checking for software or dependency updates
Code Examples
Crontab
# Every 2 hours at minute 0
0 */2 * * * /path/to/your/script.shGitHub Actions
name: Scheduled Job
on:
schedule:
- cron: '0 */2 * * *'
jobs:
run:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- run: echo "Running Every 2 Hours"systemd Timer
[Unit]
Description=Every 2 Hours timer
[Timer]
OnCalendar=*-*-* *:*:00
Persistent=true
[Install]
WantedBy=timers.targetTips
- ✓ Runs 12 times per day at even hours: 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22
- ✓ Always include the minute field (0) to avoid running every minute
- ✓ Useful for tasks that take 30-60 minutes to complete
- ✓ Can be offset: 0 1-23/2 * * * runs at odd hours instead
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours does 0 */2 * * * run at?
It runs at midnight (0:00), 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, 8:00, 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00, 18:00, 20:00, and 22:00.
How do I run every 2 hours starting at 1 AM?
Use 0 1-23/2 * * * or equivalently 0 1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15,17,19,21,23 * * * to run at odd hours.