Cron Expression: Every Weekday at 8:00 AM (0 8 * * 1-5)

The cron expression 0 8 * * 1-5 executes a task every weekday (Monday through Friday) at 8:00 AM, making it ideal for start-of-business-day operations, daily reports, and tasks that should run only on workdays.

Expression Breakdown

0 8 * * 1-5
│ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ └─── Day of week: 1-5 (Monday to Friday)
│ │ │ └───── Month: * (every month)
│ │ └─────── Day of month: * (every day)
│ └───────── Hour: 8 (at hour 8, 8:00 AM)
└─────────── Minute: 0 (at minute 0)

Field Values

Range Syntax

The 1-5 in the day of week field is a range that means "Monday through Friday":

• Runs on: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday at 8:00 AM
• Does NOT run on: Saturday, Sunday

Execution Time

This expression runs 5 times per week at:

• Monday 08:00, Tuesday 08:00, Wednesday 08:00, Thursday 08:00, Friday 08:00

Common Use Cases

1. Daily Business Reports

0 8 * * 1-5 /usr/bin/python3 /scripts/generate-daily-report.py

Generate and send daily reports at the start of each business day.

2. Daily Data Sync

0 8 * * 1-5 /usr/bin/python3 /scripts/sync-daily-data.py

Sync data from external systems or APIs at the start of each workday.

3. Daily Cache Refresh

0 8 * * 1-5 /usr/bin/python3 /scripts/refresh-daily-cache.py

Refresh cached data or pre-computed values for each business day.

4. Daily Notifications

0 8 * * 1-5 /usr/bin/node /app/send-daily-digest.js

Send daily digest emails or notifications to users on workdays.

Example Implementations

Daily Business Report Script

# generate-daily-report.py
import json
from datetime import datetime, timedelta
import sqlite3

def generate_daily_report():
    conn = sqlite3.connect('/var/data/app.db')
    cursor = conn.cursor()
    
    # Get yesterday's data
    yesterday = datetime.now() - timedelta(days=1)
    
    cursor.execute('''
        SELECT 
            COUNT(*) as total_transactions,
            SUM(amount) as total_revenue,
            COUNT(DISTINCT user_id) as unique_customers
        FROM transactions
        WHERE DATE(created_at) = DATE(?)
    ''', (yesterday,))
    
    metrics = cursor.fetchone()
    
    report = {
        'date': yesterday.strftime('%Y-%m-%d'),
        'day_type': 'business_day',
        'generated_at': datetime.now().strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S'),
        'metrics': {
            'total_transactions': metrics[0],
            'total_revenue': round(metrics[1], 2) if metrics[1] else 0,
            'unique_customers': metrics[2]
        }
    }
    
    with open(f'/var/reports/daily_{yesterday.strftime("%Y%m%d")}.json', 'w') as f:
        json.dump(report, f, indent=2)
    
    print(f"{datetime.now()}: Daily business report generated")
    conn.close()

if __name__ == '__main__':
    generate_daily_report()

Best Practices

1. Business Days Only: This pattern excludes weekends, ideal for business operations
2. Error Handling: Implement comprehensive error handling and logging
3. Locking: Use file locks to prevent concurrent execution
4. Monitoring: Set up alerts for failed jobs
5. Performance: Optimize tasks to complete quickly during business hours

When to Use

✅ Good for:

• Daily business reports
• Daily data sync
• Daily cache refresh
• Start-of-business-day operations
• Tasks that should only run on workdays

❌ Avoid for:

• Tasks that need to run every day including weekends
• Real-time critical operations

Related Patterns

Conclusion

The 0 8 * * 1-5 expression is perfect for tasks that should run at the start of each business day. It's commonly used for daily reports, data synchronization, and tasks that prepare systems for the workday ahead, excluding weekends from the schedule.