GitHub Actions Cron Schedule
GitHub Actions uses standard 5-field POSIX cron in on.schedule. Times are always UTC — there is no timezone option. The line below runs a workflow every day at 05:30 UTC.
The workflow block
on:
schedule:
- cron: '30 5 * * *'Quote the cron string. You can list multiple - cron: entries to run on several schedules.
It is always UTC
GitHub Actions has no timezone setting — every cron time is UTC. To run at 09:00 New York time, schedule for 13:00 or 14:00 UTC depending on daylight saving.
Minimum interval
The shortest supported interval is every 5 minutes (*/5 * * * *). Scheduled runs can also be delayed during periods of high load on GitHub's runners, so don't rely on exact timing.
Only on the default branch
Scheduled workflows run from the workflow file on the repository's default branch. A schedule added on a feature branch won't fire until merged.
FAQ
What cron format does GitHub Actions use?
Standard 5-field POSIX cron (minute hour day-of-month month day-of-week) inside on.schedule as a quoted string, e.g. - cron: '30 5 * * *'.
Can I set a timezone for a GitHub Actions cron?
No. All schedules run in UTC. Convert your local time to UTC, and remember daylight saving shifts the offset.
What is the shortest GitHub Actions schedule?
Every 5 minutes (*/5 * * * *). Runs may also be delayed under high load, so treat the time as best-effort.