Cron Node Not Triggering Workflow at Scheduled Time

[Catherine]

Hi everyone, I’m having an issue with the Cron node in n8n. I set up a schedule for my workflow, but it’s not triggering at the expected time.
My workflow is simple
In the Cron node, I configured it like this:{
“mode”: “custom”,
“cronExpression”: “0 9 * * *”
}
I expect it to run every day at 9:00 AM, but it either:
• Doesn’t run at all
• Or runs at a different time
I’m not sure if this is related to timezone settings or if I’m misunderstanding how the cron expression works.
Do I need to configure timezone somewhere in n8n? Or is there something wrong with my cron expression?

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[Niffzy]

Hi @Catherine

Welcome to n8n community. Your cron expression is correct:0 9 * * *

This means 9:00 AM, but the key issue is timezone.
n8n runs the Cron node using the server’s timezone, not your local time.

So if your server is set to UTC, then:
• 0 9 * * * = 9:00 AM UTC, not your local 9:00 AM

Try to Set timezone in n8n (recommended)
Set environment variable:export TZ=“America/New_York”

Then restart n8n

You can also try to adjust the cron time manually
If server is UTC and you want 9 AM EST, use:0 13 * * *

[Catherine]

Thanks @Niffzy that makes sense now. I didn’t realize the Cron node uses the server timezone that explains the timing issue. I’ll try setting the TZ variable, and the manual offset tip is really helpful too. Appreciate it.

[Catherine]

And if it didn’t work out I will make a message about it here too maybe you might have other way of help why it doesn’t work out

[Niffzy]

You’re welcome I’m always happy to help

[barn4k]

The easiest option is to open the workflow settings and set the timezone manually

[Catherine]

Thanks @Niffzy