How many times a day does */5 * * * * run?

288 times — 12 times per hour across 24 hours.

Is */5 the same as 0,5,10,...,55?

Yes, for the minute field they are identical. The step form is just shorter.

How do I run every 5 minutes only on weekdays?

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

Cron Expression: Every 5 Minutes

The expression is */5 * * * *. Paste it above to read it in English and preview the next five local run times. Below: how the step works and the variations people ask for.

The expression

*/5 * * * * runs a job every 5 minutes: at :00, :05, :10 … :55 past every hour, all day.

Field by field

*/5 is a step in the minute field — “every 5th minute” of the 0–59 range. The trailing * * * * leave hour, day, month and weekday unconstrained.

How many times it fires

12 times an hour, so 288 runs a day. If your job can overlap when it runs long, guard it with a lock so two copies don't run at once.

Common variations

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