cron_explain
Explain a standard 5-field cron expression in plain English and list its next N run times (default 5, max 20) in any IANA zone, DST-correct. Supports lists, ranges, steps (*/n, a-b/n), month/weekday names, 0 or 7 = Sunday and @yearly/@monthly/@weekly/@daily/@hourly/@reboot; applies cron's day-of-...
This record as markdown: /tools/com-it-scorptech-x402/cron-explain.md
What cron_explain does on ScorpTech x402 API
AI agents invoke cron_explain to trigger actions in ScorpTech x402 API. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call: builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
tz | string | — | IANA zone for the run times (default UTC) |
expr | string | Yes | 5-field cron expression or macro, e.g. "*/15 9-17 * * mon-fri" or "@daily". Alias: cron |
from | string | — | Start after this time (ISO 8601 / epoch; default now) |
count | integer | — | Number of next runs, 1-20 (default 5) |
Parameters from the server's own tool schema.
Why cron_explain is rated High
cron_explain triggers real processes with real consequences. An agent gone sideways doesn't fire it once. It starts dozens of builds, sends mass notifications, or burns through compute before anyone looks up.
Attacks that exploit this kind of access
The rule that runs cron_explain safely
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and ScorpTech x402 API, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For cron_explain, this is the rule to start with:
cron_explain stays usable, but rate-capped: a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect ScorpTech x402 API, apply this rule, and every cron_explain call is checked against it from then on.
Questions about cron_explain
Explain a standard 5-field cron expression in plain English and list its next N run times (default 5, max 20) in any IANA zone, DST-correct. Supports lists, ranges, steps (*/n, a-b/n), month/weekday names, 0 or 7 = Sunday and @yearly/@monthly/@weekly/@daily/@hourly/@reboot; applies cron's day-of-month OR day-of-week rule and notes it. Rejects invalid and never-firing expressions with a precise reason. Price: $0.01 USDC per successful call (x402, Solana). Same tool over HTTPS: GET https://scorptech.it.com/api/x402/v1/cron-explain. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the ScorpTech x402 API MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.
cron_explain accepts 4 parameters: tz, expr, from, count. Required: expr. The full parameter table on this page comes from the server's own tool schema.
Register the ScorpTech x402 API MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for cron_explain: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches ScorpTech x402 API. Nothing to install.
cron_explain is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the cron_explain rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for cron_explain. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
cron_explain is provided by the ScorpTech x402 API MCP server (https://scorptech.it.com/api/x402/mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
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