# Run a Cron Job Every 2 Minutes

> The cron expression for every 2 minutes is */2 * * * *. Field-by-field meaning, next run times, and variations for odd minutes and business hours.

```
*/2 * * * *
```

In plain English: Every 2 minutes.

*/2 in the minute field fires on every even minute — :00, :02, :04 through :58 — around the clock. It's the step to reach for when once a minute is more than a job needs but five minutes is too slow: queue drains, near-real-time syncs, quick health checks.

## Field by field

| Field | Value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Minute | `*/2` | every 2 minutes |
| Hour | `*` | every hour |
| Day of month | `*` | every day |
| Month | `*` | every month |
| Day of week | `*` | every weekday |

## Variations

- `1-59/2 * * * *` — odd minutes (:01, :03 …) — pair it with */2 to alternate two jobs
- `*/2 9-17 * * 1-5` — every 2 minutes, weekdays, 09:00–17:59
- `0-58/2 * * * *` — the explicit-range spelling of the same schedule

## FAQ

### Does */2 run on even or odd minutes?

Even ones. A step counts from the start of the range — minute 0 for * — so */2 matches 0, 2, 4 … 58. Use 1-59/2 for the odd minutes.

### How do I stop runs from overlapping?

If a run can take longer than two minutes, wrap it in flock: */2 * * * * flock -n /tmp/job.lock /path/to/job. A second copy exits immediately instead of piling up.

## Related schedules

- [* * * * * — Run a Cron Job Every Minute](https://www.devkult.com/cron/every-minute.md)
- [*/5 * * * * — Run a Cron Job Every 5 Minutes](https://www.devkult.com/cron/every-5-minutes.md)
- [*/10 * * * * — Run a Cron Job Every 10 Minutes](https://www.devkult.com/cron/every-10-minutes.md)

Open the interactive page: https://www.devkult.com/cron/every-2-minutes