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io.github.IdoAzaCalls/cron-explainer

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Cron expression parser: explains any cron + returns next N fire times. Timezone-aware.

Source code Website Documentation

Install

Add this to your client's MCP configuration (Claude Desktop: claude_desktop_config.json; Cursor: .cursor/mcp.json; VS Code and others use the same "mcpServers" shape).

Remote (streamable-http)
Claude Code 
claude mcp add --transport http cron-explainer 'https://cron-explainer.cron-explainer-prod.workers.dev/mcp'
JSON configuration (Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code) 
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "cron-explainer": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://cron-explainer.cron-explainer-prod.workers.dev/mcp"
        }
    }
}

Documentation

From the project's README on GitHub, refreshed weekly. Links open on GitHub.

Contents
  1. cron-explainer
  2. Quick start
  3. MCP
  4. Endpoints
  5. Limits
  6. Stack
  7. Contact

cron-explainer

A tiny pay-per-call API that parses cron expressions, returns the next N fire times, and produces a short English description. Timezone-aware (IANA).

Live: https://cron-explainer.cron-explainer-prod.workers.dev/ Pricing: 0.01 EUR per successful call, prepaid via Stripe Checkout in packs of 500 / 5,000 / 50,000 calls. Non-2xx responses are refunded. No subscription. Keys never expire.

Quick start

  1. Get a key at https://cron-explainer.cron-explainer-prod.workers.dev/ (Stripe Checkout, €5 minimum).
  2. Copy the key — it's shown exactly once.
  3. Call the API:
curl -X POST https://cron-explainer.cron-explainer-prod.workers.dev/v1/explain \
  -H "content-type: application/json" \
  -H "x-api-key: $YOUR_KEY" \
  -d '{"cron":"0 9 * * 1-5","tz":"Europe/Lisbon","n":3}'

Response:

{
  "input": {"cron":"0 9 * * 1-5","tz":"Europe/Lisbon","n":3},
  "valid": true,
  "description": "At 09:00, Monday through Friday",
  "next": ["2026-04-24T08:00:00.000Z","2026-04-27T08:00:00.000Z","2026-04-28T08:00:00.000Z"],
  "flags": {"dst_transition_ahead": false, "ambiguous": false, "notes": []},
  "errors": []
}

Check remaining balance:

curl -H "x-api-key: $YOUR_KEY" \
  https://cron-explainer.cron-explainer-prod.workers.dev/v1/balance

MCP

The server is listed on the official MCP registry as io.github.IdoAzaCalls/cron-explainer with a Streamable HTTP endpoint at POST /mcp. It exposes one tool, explain_cron. Pass your x-api-key as an HTTP header on the MCP transport; billing is identical to the REST path.

Registry entry: https://registry.modelcontextprotocol.io/v0/servers?search=cron-explainer

Endpoints

MethodPathPurpose
POST/v1/explainParse + describe + next fire times (billed)
GET/v1/balanceRemaining balance for an x-api-key
POST/v1/checkoutCreate a Stripe Checkout Session
GET/v1/schemaJSON Schema for request/response
POST/mcpMCP Streamable HTTP (JSON-RPC 2.0)
GET/.well-known/mcp.jsonStatic tool manifest
GET/healthLiveness probe
GET/legal/{tos,privacy,disclaimer,notices}Legal docs

Limits

  • Cron: 5-field POSIX/Vixie syntax (minute, hour, day-of-month, month, day-of-week).
  • Timezones: IANA names (e.g. Europe/Lisbon, America/Los_Angeles). Defaults to UTC.
  • n clamps to [1, 100].
  • Best-effort accuracy. See /legal/disclaimer for warranty terms.
  • Zero PII: inputs are cron strings and IANA timezones only. Request and response bodies are never logged.

Stack

TypeScript on Cloudflare Workers. Cron parsing via croner (MIT). English descriptions via cronstrue (MIT). Full NOTICE text at /legal/notices.

Contact

azariaido@gmail.com — billing issues, bug reports, custom pricing.

Frequently asked questions

What is io.github.IdoAzaCalls/cron-explainer?

Cron expression parser: explains any cron + returns next N fire times. Timezone-aware.

How do I install io.github.IdoAzaCalls/cron-explainer?

It runs as a remote server. In Claude Code: claude mcp add --transport http cron-explainer 'https://cron-explainer.cron-explainer-prod.workers.dev/mcp'. For other clients, paste the JSON configuration from this page into their MCP settings.

Does io.github.IdoAzaCalls/cron-explainer need an API key?

Its registry entry lists no required key or secret. Some features may still need an account with the service it connects to.

Is io.github.IdoAzaCalls/cron-explainer open source?

Yes. Its code is on GitHub under the MIT license.

Who maintains io.github.IdoAzaCalls/cron-explainer?

It is published by IdoAzaCalls. AI.tn lists it but does not maintain or endorse it.

From the official MCP Registry. Listing is not an endorsement: review a server's code and permissions before giving it access to your data.