How many times a day does */3 * * * * run?

480 times — 20 times per hour across 24 hours.

Does the 3-minute gap stay even across the hour?

Yes. 60 is divisible by 3, so :57 to the next :00 is still 3 minutes.

How do I run every 3 minutes only on weekdays?

Use */3 * * * 1-5 to limit it to Monday through Friday.

Cron Expression: Every 3 Minutes

The expression is */3 * * * *. Paste it above to read it in English and preview the next run times. Below: how the step works and the edge cases people hit.

The expression

*/3 * * * * runs a job every 3 minutes: at :00, :03, :06 … :57 past every hour, all day.

Watch the hour boundary

Because 60 is divisible by 3, the pattern lines up cleanly every hour — the last fire is :57, the next is :00 of the following hour, still a 3-minute gap. Steps that don't divide 60 (like */7) do not stay even across the boundary.

How many times it fires

20 times an hour, 480 times a day. At that frequency, add a lock so a slow run can't overlap the next.

Common variations

Every 3 minutes on weekdays: */3 * * * 1-5. Every 3 minutes during work hours: */3 9-17 * * 1-5.