Platforms
Cron in AWS
AWS EventBridge supports rate and cron schedule expressions. AWS cron differs from Linux cron, especially around fields and UTC behavior.
EventBridge schedule expressions
EventBridge supports rate expressions for simple intervals and cron expressions for calendar-based schedules.
rate(5 minutes)
cron(0 9 ? * MON-FRI *)Differences from Linux cron
- EventBridge cron expressions include six fields.
- Schedules commonly run in UTC unless a scheduler feature supports timezones.
- The ? character is used for no specific day-of-month or day-of-week.
- Year is included as the final field.
Common mistakes
- Using a Linux 5-field expression directly in EventBridge.
- Forgetting UTC and seeing jobs run at a different local time.
- Using * in both day-of-month and day-of-week where AWS expects ?.
FAQ
Does AWS EventBridge use Linux cron?
No. EventBridge cron syntax is AWS-specific and usually has six fields.
Are AWS scheduled rules UTC?
Traditional EventBridge scheduled rules are evaluated in UTC.