Compare the same quarter-hour schedule
These examples express the intention of starting at second zero every quarter hour in each listed dialect. They do not make the hosting platforms operationally equivalent: queue delays, permissions, concurrency and supported time zones remain platform-specific.
A user crontab appends a command after five time fields. A system crontab can also include a username. Those are not extra schedule fields. GitHub YAML wraps a five-field schedule in a cron property.
| Scheduler / dialect | Expression | Field order |
|---|---|---|
| Linux user crontab | */15 * * * * | minute hour day month weekday |
| GitHub Actions schedule | */15 * * * * | minute hour day month weekday |
| Azure Functions NCRONTAB (six-field form) | 0 */15 * * * * | second minute hour day month weekday |
| Quartz.NET 3.x | 0 0/15 * * * ? | second minute hour day month weekday; optional year |
Do not convert dialects by deleting a field blindly
Quartz.NET 3.x uses ? for an unspecified day field and supports features such as L, W and #. These do not belong in PageUtil’s five-field input. Weekday numbering also differs between dialects; prefer named weekdays when the destination supports them and confirm the destination documentation.
Azure Functions documents both five- and six-field NCRONTAB expressions. The six-field form makes seconds explicit. The timer trigger uses UTC by default, while time-zone configuration depends on hosting support. Check your operating system and plan before relying on a zone setting.
GitHub Actions is a workflow trigger rather than a precise execution timer. A valid cron expression does not guarantee an exact start time under load. Review the current Actions schedule documentation and the workflow’s branch requirements.
Verify a migration using concrete run times
Write down the source platform, its expression, the zone and the next five intended UTC instants. Recreate the schedule using the destination dialect and compare its preview. Include a month boundary and daylight-saving transition if relevant.
For PageUtil, enter only the five schedule fields. Keep commands and workflow YAML outside the expression input. An unsupported-expression error is useful evidence of a dialect mismatch, not a reason to remove arbitrary symbols until the parser accepts it.
# PageUtil / traditional five-field input
*/15 * * * *
# Azure six-field form: do not paste this into PageUtil
0 */15 * * * *
# Quartz.NET 3.x: use the Quartz parser
0 0/15 * * * ?References
Use the linked specifications and product documentation to check behavior in your own environment.
Continue troubleshooting
Related tools
Frequently asked questions
Does PageUtil support seconds fields?
No. Its cron tools require five time fields beginning with minutes.
Is the command a sixth cron field?
In a user crontab the command follows the schedule; it is not a seconds field.
Can a valid expression run late?
Yes. Scheduler load, downtime and execution policies can delay or skip actual work.