Schedule Trigger node common issues

Here are some common errors and issues with the Schedule Trigger node and steps to resolve or troubleshoot them.

Invalid cron expression

This error occurs when you set Trigger Interval to Custom (Cron) and n8n doesn't understand your cron expression. This may mean that there is a mistake in your cron expression or that you're using an incompatible syntax.

To debug, check that the following:

• That your cron expression follows the syntax used in the cron examples
• That your cron expression (after removing the seconds column) validates on crontab guru

Scheduled workflows run at the wrong time

If the Schedule Trigger node runs at the wrong time, it may mean that you need to adjust the time zone n8n uses.

Adjust the timezone globally

If you're using n8n Cloud, follow the instructions on the set the Cloud instance timezone page to ensure that n8n executes in sync with your local time.

If you're self hosting, set your global timezone using the GENERIC_TIMEZONE environment variable.

Adjust the timezone for an individual workflow

To set the timezone for an individual workflow:

1. Open the workflow on the canvas.
2. Select the Three dots icon in the upper-right corner.
3. Select Settings.
4. Change the Timezone setting.
5. Select Save.