Cron Activity

Purpose: Trigger workflow execution at a specific interval using a CRON expression. This activity provides flexible scheduling using standard cron syntax for recurring workflow execution.

Input Properties

CronExpression

The CRON expression that defines when the workflow should be triggered.

Type: string

Required: Yes

Note: Standard cron expression format: minute hour day month day-of-week

Common Examples:

  • 0 * * * * - Every hour at minute 0
  • 0 0 * * * - Every day at midnight
  • 0 0 * * 0 - Every Sunday at midnight
  • */5 * * * * - Every 5 minutes
  • 0 9 * * 1-5 - Every weekday at 9 AM
  • 0 0 1 * * - First day of every month at midnight

Output Properties

This activity has no output properties.

Usage Example

Scenario: Run a workflow every day at 2 AM

Configuration:
- CronExpression: "0 2 * * *"
- Place Cron as the first activity in the workflow

Result:
- Workflow is triggered every day at 2:00 AM
- Cron activity completes immediately when triggered
- Subsequent activities execute after the cron trigger

CRON Expression Format

Format: minute hour day month day-of-week

  • minute (0-59): Minute of the hour
  • hour (0-23): Hour of the day
  • day (1-31): Day of the month
  • month (1-12): Month of the year
  • day-of-week (0-7): Day of the week (0 or 7 = Sunday)

Special Characters:

  • * - Any value
  • , - Value list separator (e.g., "1,3,5")
  • - - Range (e.g., "1-5")
  • / - Step values (e.g., "*/5" = every 5)

Important Notes

  • Cron is a trigger activity - it starts or resumes workflows
  • The workflow is triggered according to the cron schedule automatically
  • Cron should typically be placed at the start of the workflow
  • For simple intervals, use Timer activity instead
  • For one-time scheduled execution, use StartAt activity
  • Cron expressions use standard Unix cron format
  • The cron schedule continues until the workflow is stopped or deleted
  • Cron schedules are persistent - if the server restarts, schedules resume

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