How do I schedule a job every 3 minutes?

Use the cron expression */3 * * * *. You can set this in crontab on Linux, or use a service like CronJobPro to schedule HTTP requests with this expression.

Interval Schedules

Cron Job Every 3 Minutes – Expression & Examples

The */3 step value in the minute field triggers the job at minutes 0, 3, 6, 9, ..., 57 of every hour.

Cron Expression

*/3 * * * *

*/3

Minute

(0-59)

Hour

(0-23)

Day of Month

(1-31)

Month

(1-12)

Day of Week

(0-6)

How It Works

The */3 step value in the minute field triggers the job at minutes 0, 3, 6, 9, ..., 57 of every hour.

Common Use Cases

Lightweight monitoring
Social media feed updates
Inventory sync

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does `/3 * * *` mean in cron?

The */3 step value in the minute field triggers the job at minutes 0, 3, 6, 9, ..., 57 of every hour.

How do I use this cron expression?

On Linux/macOS, edit your crontab with crontab -e and add:
*/3 * * * * /path/to/your/script.sh
Or use CronJobPro to schedule HTTP requests with this expression — no server required.

What timezone does cron use?

By default, cron uses the system timezone. CronJobPro lets you set a specific timezone per job, so your schedules are predictable regardless of server location.