The cron expression for 'every hour' is `0 * * * *` - runs at minute 0 of every hour, every day. Equivalent shortcut: `@hourly` (supported by most modern cron implementations). Common variations: every hour during business hours (`0 9-17 * * 1-5`), at 15 past every hour (`15 * * * *`), or every 2 hours (`0 */2 * * *`).
When to use this
Use for: hourly metric aggregations, recurring data syncs (CRM-to-warehouse, Stripe-to-DB), regular cache invalidation, hourly backup snapshots, monitoring summary emails. Sweet spot of 'frequent but not constant' for most operations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between @hourly and 0 * * * *?
Identical. `@hourly` is the convenience shortcut; `0 * * * *` is the explicit form. Both run at the top of every hour. Use `@hourly` for readability if your cron implementation supports it; some older crons (Solaris cron, some embedded systems) don't.
Does cron account for daylight savings?
Depends on the cron daemon. Modern Linux cron (Vixie cron) handles DST transitions - jobs scheduled to run during the 'spring forward' missing hour are skipped; jobs during the 'fall back' repeat hour are run once. Avoid scheduling critical jobs in the 2-3 AM range to sidestep DST edge cases.
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