Cron Job Daily at Midnight: 0 0 * * *

To run a cron job daily at midnight use: 0 0 * * * This means minute 0, hour 0 (midnight), every day. Note: midnight is always in the server's timezone, not yours.

Expression Breakdown

Field valueMeaning
0minute 0
0hour 0 (midnight = 00:00)
*every day of month
*every month
*every day of week

Common Variations

0 0 * * *
Every day at midnight (00:00 server time)
0 3 * * *
Every day at 3am — good for maintenance windows
0 12 * * *
Every day at noon (12:00)
0 0,12 * * *
Twice daily — at midnight and noon
0 0 * * 1-5
Daily at midnight on weekdays only (Mon–Fri)
0 0 1 * *
First day of every month at midnight

Verify Your Schedule

Related Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

Is midnight 0 0 or 24 0 in cron?

Always 0 0 * * * — cron uses 0–23 for hours. 24 is not a valid value. Hour 0 is midnight, hour 12 is noon.

What timezone does cron use?

The server's system timezone. On AWS and GCP it's often UTC. Check your timezone with: date or cat /etc/timezone on Linux.

How do I run at midnight in a specific timezone?

Convert your target midnight to the server's timezone. If the server is UTC and you want midnight EST (UTC-5): 0 5 * * * — that's 5am UTC = midnight EST.

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