Cron Expression for Every 6 Hours
Run a cron job every 6 hours using 0 */6 * * *. Runs 4 times a day, ideal for periodic syncs and batch processing.
Expression
0 */6 * * * Every 6 hours at minute 0
Use Cases
- • Running full database backups
- • Syncing data warehouses
- • Generating quarterly-day reports
- • Checking SSL certificate renewals
Code Examples
Crontab
# Every 6 hours at minute 0
0 */6 * * * /path/to/your/script.shGitHub Actions
name: Scheduled Job
on:
schedule:
- cron: '0 */6 * * *'
jobs:
run:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- run: echo "Running Every 6 Hours"systemd Timer
[Unit]
Description=Every 6 Hours timer
[Timer]
OnCalendar=*-*-* *:*:00
Persistent=true
[Install]
WantedBy=timers.targetTips
- ✓ Runs at 0:00, 6:00, 12:00, and 18:00
- ✓ Four executions per day is ideal for batch processing
- ✓ Allows longer tasks up to several hours
- ✓ Commonly used for data pipeline refreshes
Frequently Asked Questions
What times does every 6 hours run?
With 0 */6 * * *, the job runs at midnight, 6 AM, noon, and 6 PM (server time).
Can I run at 3 AM, 9 AM, 3 PM, 9 PM instead?
Yes, use 0 3,9,15,21 * * * or equivalently 0 3-23/6 * * * to offset the 6-hour cycle to start at 3 AM.