Run a Cron Job Every 6 Hours
0 */6 * * * fires four times a day: 00:00, 06:00, 12:00, and 18:00. It's the standard cadence for backup rotations, certificate checks, and feeds that should stay fresh without hourly churn.
0 */6 * * *In plain English: At minute 0, every 6 hours.
Field by field
| Field | Value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Minute | 0 | 0 |
| Hour | */6 | every 6 hours |
| Day of month | * | every day |
| Month | * | every month |
| Day of week | * | every weekday |
Variations
0 3-21/6 * * *four times daily at 03:00, 09:00, 15:00, 21:000 0,6,12,18 * * *the explicit-list equivalent of */60 */12 * * *reduce to twice a dayTweak any of these in the crontab explainer to see the schedule in plain English and its next run times.
Frequently asked questions
Which hours does */6 hit?
Starting from 0: hours 0, 6, 12, and 18. If you need different anchors, list them explicitly (0 2,8,14,20 * * *) or shift the range (2-20/6).
Is every 6 hours the same in every timezone?
The expression always evaluates in the scheduler's timezone. On a UTC server, 0 */6 means 00/06/12/18 UTC — check what zone your crontab or CI runner uses before assuming local time.
Related schedules
New to cron syntax? Read Cron Expressions Explained, Field by Field.