Cron Expression for Every 30 Minutes
The cron expression */30 * * * * runs every 30 minutes. Ideal for half-hourly tasks, regular data updates, and moderate frequency automation.
Cron Expression
Format: minute hour day month weekday (e.g., "*/5 * * * *" for every 5 minutes)
About This Schedule
Expression: */30 * * * *
Frequency: Every 30 minutes, 24/7
Common Uses:
- Regular maintenance tasks
- Data processing
- System updates
- Performance monitoring
Note: Good balance between frequency and resource usage.
Results
Enter a cron expression to see the results here.
Frequently Asked Questions
When exactly does this cron job run?
This expression runs at the top and bottom of every hour (00 and 30 minutes past the hour). That's 48 executions per day, twice per hour.
Is this better than running every hour?
It depends on your needs. Every 30 minutes provides more frequent updates than hourly while still being conservative with resources. Use it when hourly is too infrequent but every 15 minutes is excessive.
How much server load does this create?
With 48 executions per day, this schedule is very reasonable for most servers. It strikes a good balance between keeping data fresh and minimizing resource consumption.
Practical Examples
Data Aggregation
Aggregate and process data from multiple sources for analytics.
Email Queue Processing
Process outgoing email queue at regular intervals.
System Metrics Collection
Collect and store system performance metrics.
Common Issues & Solutions
If tasks sometimes exceed 30 minutes, implement proper timeout handling and consider reducing task scope or moving to hourly execution.
For critical tasks that must complete, add monitoring and alerts to notify you of failures or long-running executions.
Ensure your tasks are idempotent - they should produce the same result if run multiple times, in case of retries or overlaps.