Cron Named Shortcut (@reboot, @daily, etc.) Regex for PHP

What this pattern does

This page provides a well-structured, multi-part regular expression for matching cron named shortcut (@reboot, @daily, etc.), ported and verified for PHP. A rigorously tested regex reduces debugging time and protects your application from edge-case failures. The snippet below is ready to drop into your PHP project — whether you're validating in a Laravel validator, a WordPress plugin, or a standalone PHP script.

Php Implementation

<?php
// Cron Named Shortcut (@reboot, @daily, etc.)
// ReDoS-safe | RegexVault — Dev & Systems > Cron

define('CRON_NAMED_SHORTCUT_REBOOT_DAILY_ETC_PATTERN', '/^@(?:reboot|yearly|annually|monthly|weekly|daily|midnight|hourly)$/');

function validate_cron_named_shortcut_reboot_daily_etc(string $input): bool {
    return (bool) preg_match(CRON_NAMED_SHORTCUT_REBOOT_DAILY_ETC_PATTERN, $input);
}

// Example
var_dump(validate_cron_named_shortcut_reboot_daily_etc("@reboot")); // bool(true)

Test Cases

When to use this pattern

This pattern is drawn from the Dev & Systems > Cron category and carries a ReDoS-safe certification. That matters for PHP developers because especially relevant in PHP where PCRE backtracking limits can trigger silent failures on malicious input. RegexVault audits patterns against known backtracking attack vectors, ensuring you have the necessary context before using this regex in a high-stakes production environment.

Common Pitfalls

Technical Notes

These are Vixie cron convenience shortcuts. @annually is a synonym for @yearly. @midnight is a synonym for @daily. Not available in all cron implementations.