What is the minimum schedule interval in GitLab CI?

On GitLab SaaS, the minimum interval is typically once every 5 minutes (`*/5 * * * *`). On self-managed GitLab instances, administrators can adjust the sidekiq worker cron interval.

Updated: August 2026 • Verified v1.2

Crontab to GitLab CI/CD Pipeline Schedule Generator

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Rule Synthesis: rules: - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "schedule"

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Understanding Your Results

Generates valid `.gitlab-ci.yml` job definitions using scheduled pipeline rules and produces ready-to-run GitLab REST API `POST /pipeline_schedules` cURL commands.

Practical Guidance & Next Steps

GitLab CI schedules evaluate cron expressions in UTC by default. Using the `rules: - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "schedule"` guard ensures heavy maintenance jobs never run on standard push or merge requests.

What is this?

A DevOps automation utility that transforms crontab schedules into GitLab CI/CD pipeline configurations.

How does it work?

1. Enter cron expression, schedule description, and target branch. 2. Copy the `.gitlab-ci.yml` scheduled rule block. 3. Optionally copy the GitLab REST API cURL command for programmatic provisioning.

Why use it?

Simplifies creating automated scheduled CI/CD jobs and ensures proper execution rules.

Technical Scope & Calculation Limitations

Generates GitLab CI standard YAML and REST API v4 format.

Frequently Asked Questions

Add `rules: - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "schedule"` to the job definition in your `.gitlab-ci.yml`. This restricts the job so it only executes when triggered by GitLab's schedule timer.

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