---
title: "Scheduling Functions"
section: "build-a-backend/functions"
platforms: ["android", "angular", "flutter", "javascript", "nextjs", "react", "react-native", "swift", "vue"]
gen: 2
last-updated: "2025-02-12T16:04:46.000Z"
url: "https://docs.amplify.aws/react/build-a-backend/functions/scheduling-functions/"
---

Amplify offers the ability to schedule Functions to run on specific intervals using natural language or [cron expressions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cron). To get started, specify the `schedule` property in `defineFunction`:

> **Info:** **Note:** Configuring the schedule in `defineFunction` is not supported for [Custom Functions](/[platform]/build-a-backend/functions/custom-functions/).

```ts title="amplify/jobs/weekly-digest/resource.ts"
import { defineFunction } from "@aws-amplify/backend";

export const weeklyDigest = defineFunction({
  name: "weekly-digest",
  schedule: "every week",
});
```

Function schedules are powered by [Amazon EventBridge rules](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/eventbridge/latest/userguide/eb-rules.html), and can be leveraged to address use cases such as:

- generating a "front page" of top-performing posts
- generating a weekly digest of top-performing posts
- generating a monthly report of warehouse inventory

Their handlers can be typed using the `EventBridgeHandler` type:

```ts title="amplify/jobs/weekly-digest/handler.ts"
import type { EventBridgeHandler } from "aws-lambda";

export const handler: EventBridgeHandler<"Scheduled Event", null, void> = async (event) => {
  console.log("event", JSON.stringify(event, null, 2))
}
```

> **Info:** **Note**: AWS Lambda types can be installed with
> 
> ```bash title="Terminal" showLineNumbers={false}
npm add --save-dev @types/aws-lambda
```

Schedules can either be a single interval, or multiple intervals:

```ts title="amplify/jobs/generate-report/resource.ts"
import { defineFunction } from "@aws-amplify/backend";

export const generateReport = defineFunction({
  name: "generate-report",
  schedule: ["every week", "every month", "every year"],
});
```

Schedules can also be defined to execute using minutes or hours with a shorthand syntax:

```ts title="amplify/jobs/drink-some-water/resource.ts"
import { defineFunction } from "@aws-amplify/backend";

export const drinkSomeWater = defineFunction({
  name: "drink-some-water",
  schedule: "every 1h"
})
```

Or combined to create complex schedules:

```ts title="amplify/jobs/remind-me/resource.ts"
import { defineFunction } from "@aws-amplify/backend";

export const remindMe = defineFunction({
  name: "remind-me",
  schedule: [
    // every sunday at midnight
    "every week",
    // every tuesday at 5pm
    "0 17 ? * 3 *",
    // every wednesday at 5pm
    "0 17 ? * 4 *",
    // every thursday at 5pm
    "0 17 ? * 5 *",
    // every friday at 5pm
    "0 17 ? * 6 *",
  ]
})
```

## Using natural language

Schedules can be written using natural language, using terms you use every day. Amplify supports the following time periods:

- `day` will always start at midnight
- `week` will always start on Sunday at midnight
- `month` will always start on the first of the month at midnight
- `year` will always start on the first of the year at midnight
- `m` for minutes
- `h` for hours

Natural language expressions are prefixed with "every":

```ts title="amplify/jobs/drink-some-water/resource.ts"
import { defineFunction } from "@aws-amplify/backend";

export const drinkSomeWater = defineFunction({
  name: "drink-some-water",
  schedule: "every 1h"
})
```

## Using cron expressions

Schedules can be written using cron expressions.

```ts title="amplify/jobs/remind-me/resource.ts"
import { defineFunction } from "@aws-amplify/backend";

export const remindMe = defineFunction({
  name: "remind-me-to-take-the-trash-out",
  schedule: [
    // every tuesday at 9am
    "0 9 ? * 3 *",
    // every friday at 9am
    "0 9 ? * 6 *",
  ]
})
```