coollabsio/coolify · error · Exception

Invalid Cron / Human expression for Docker Cleanup Frequency

Error message

Invalid Cron / Human expression for Docker Cleanup Frequency.

What it means

The Docker cleanup screen's submit() validates dockerCleanupFrequency with validate_cron_expression() (cron-parser isValid() plus the VALID_CRON_STRINGS presets). On failure the property is restored from server->settings->getOriginal('docker_cleanup_frequency') and the exception is routed through handleError, so the stored schedule is untouched.

Source

Thrown at app/Livewire/Server/DockerCleanup.php:148

    }

    public function manualCleanup()
    {
        try {
            $this->authorize('update', $this->server);
            DockerCleanupJob::dispatch($this->server, true, $this->deleteUnusedVolumes, $this->deleteUnusedNetworks);
            $this->dispatch('success', 'Manual cleanup job started. Depending on the amount of data, this might take a while.');
        } catch (\Throwable $e) {
            return handleError($e, $this);
        }
    }

    public function submit()
    {
        try {
            if (! validate_cron_expression($this->dockerCleanupFrequency)) {
                $this->dockerCleanupFrequency = $this->server->settings->getOriginal('docker_cleanup_frequency');
                throw new \Exception('Invalid Cron / Human expression for Docker Cleanup Frequency.');
            }
            $this->syncData(true);
            $this->dispatch('success', 'Server updated.');
        } catch (\Throwable $e) {
            return handleError($e, $this);
        }
    }

    public function render()
    {
        return view('livewire.server.docker-cleanup');
    }
}

View on GitHub (pinned to 70b9acc424)

Solutions

1. Use a valid 5-field cron like '0 3 * * *' (daily 03:00)
2. Or use an exact VALID_CRON_STRINGS preset key - not free-form English
3. Clear autofill/whitespace and retype the expression
4. Validate in tinker first: php artisan tinker --execute 'var_dump(validate_cron_expression("0 3 * * *"));'

Example fix

// before
$this->dockerCleanupFrequency = 'every day at 3am';

// after
$this->dockerCleanupFrequency = '0 3 * * *';

if (! validate_cron_expression($this->dockerCleanupFrequency)) {
    // correct the expression before submit; original setting stays intact
}

Keep submit()'s try { ... } catch (\Throwable $e) { return handleError($e, $this); } and rely on the getOriginal() restore so an invalid submission never partially persists.

When it happens

Trigger: Saving an invalid expression such as '0 0 * *' (4 fields), 'every hour' (not a preset key - the preset is phrased differently), 6-field cron with seconds, or a crontab line including the username column.

Common situations: Copy-pasting cron from other tools; assuming free-form English is accepted because the field mentions 'Human'; stale browser autofill inserting a partial value.

Related errors

• Invalid Cron / Human expression for Disk Usage Check Frequen
• Invalid Cron / Human expression
• Invalid dockerfile_target_build: contains forbidden characte
• Invalid {$fieldName}: contains forbidden characters.
• Invalid {$fieldName}: path traversal detected.

AI-assisted analysis of coollabsio/coolify@70b9acc424 (2026-08-17). Data as JSON: /api/errors/313750df7d4ca282. Report an issue: GitHub.