Cron Year Field
The year field is used by AWS EventBridge (as the 6th field) and Quartz Scheduler (as the optional 7th field). It restricts a schedule to specific calendar years or year ranges.
Quick Reference
| Value | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| * | Every year (no year restriction) | 0 0 1 1 ? * |
| 2024 | Only in the year 2024 | 0 0 1 1 ? 2024 |
| 2024-2030 | Years 2024 through 2030 | 0 0 1 1 ? 2024-2030 |
| */2 | Every 2 years | 0 0 1 1 ? */2 |
Valid Values
1970
Minimum
2099
Maximum
* , - /
Allowed special characters
Examples
*Every year — no restriction (most common)2025Only during calendar year 20252025-2030For a 5-year recurring schedule with an automatic end datePlatform Support
Platforms that include the Year field:
AWS EventBridgeQuartz Scheduler
Frequently Asked Questions
Does standard Linux cron have a year field? ▾
No — standard 5-field cron has no year field. AWS EventBridge and Quartz Scheduler add it as an optional extension.
When would I use a specific year in a cron expression? ▾
For scheduled events with a known end date — like a promotional campaign running through 2025, or an annual compliance job that runs only during a transition period. Using a year range automatically disables the job after the final year.
Built & maintained by Danny Vargas
Last updated January 2026·Parsing runs in your browser — no expression leaves your device