diff --git a/src/portal/package-lock.json b/src/portal/package-lock.json
index 79870cfea..a9f796cee 100644
--- a/src/portal/package-lock.json
+++ b/src/portal/package-lock.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
     "name": "harbor",
-    "version": "2.2.0",
+    "version": "2.3.0",
     "lockfileVersion": 1,
     "requires": true,
     "dependencies": {
@@ -5391,6 +5391,11 @@
                 "object-assign": "^4.1.1"
             }
         },
+        "cron-validator": {
+            "version": "1.2.1",
+            "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/cron-validator/-/cron-validator-1.2.1.tgz",
+            "integrity": "sha512-RqdpGSokGFICPc8qAkT38aXqZLLanXghQTK2q7a2x2FabSwDd2ARrazd5ElEWAXzToUcMG4cZIwDH+5RM0q1mA=="
+        },
         "cross-spawn": {
             "version": "6.0.5",
             "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/cross-spawn/-/cross-spawn-6.0.5.tgz",
diff --git a/src/portal/package.json b/src/portal/package.json
index 3c0c9a310..55c08a8f8 100644
--- a/src/portal/package.json
+++ b/src/portal/package.json
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
     "@webcomponents/webcomponentsjs": "^2.0.0",
     "buffer": "^5.2.1",
     "core-js": "^2.5.4",
+    "cron-validator": "^1.2.1",
     "intl": "^1.2.5",
     "jasmine-core": "^3.3.0",
     "mutationobserver-shim": "^0.3.2",
diff --git a/src/portal/src/app/base/left-side-nav/replication/replication/create-edit-rule/create-edit-rule.component.html b/src/portal/src/app/base/left-side-nav/replication/replication/create-edit-rule/create-edit-rule.component.html
index 2d9fe24a6..a2dea4382 100644
--- a/src/portal/src/app/base/left-side-nav/replication/replication/create-edit-rule/create-edit-rule.component.html
+++ b/src/portal/src/app/base/left-side-nav/replication/replication/create-edit-rule/create-edit-rule.component.html
@@ -176,15 +176,16 @@
               </select>
             </div>
             <div formGroupName="trigger_settings" class="clr-form-control">
-              <div [hidden]="isNotSchedule()">
-                <label class="required">Cron String</label>
-                <label for="targetCron" aria-haspopup="true" role="tooltip" class="tooltip tooltip-validation tooltip-sm tooltip-top-right"
-                  [class.invalid]="!isNotSchedule() && cronTouched && !cronInputValid(ruleForm.value.trigger?.trigger_settings?.cron || '')">
-                  <input (input)="inputInvalid($event)" type="text" name=targetCron id="targetCron" required class="form-control cron-input clr-input" formControlName="cron">
-                  <span class="tooltip-content">
+              <div class="flex" [hidden]="isNotSchedule()">
+                <label for="targetCron" class="required">Cron String</label>
+                <div class="clr-control-container" [class.clr-error]="cronInputShouldShowError()">
+                  <div class="clr-input-wrapper">
+                    <input  autocomplete="off" (input)="inputInvalid($event)" type="text" name=targetCron id="targetCron" required class="form-control cron-input clr-input" formControlName="cron">
+                  </div>
+                  <clr-control-error *ngIf="cronInputShouldShowError()">
                     {{'TOOLTIP.CRON_REQUIRED' | translate }}
-                  </span>
-                </label>
+                  </clr-control-error>
+                </div>
                 <a href="javascript:void(0)" role="tooltip" aria-haspopup="true" class="tooltip tooltip-lg tooltip-top-left top-7 cron-tooltip">
                   <clr-icon shape="info-circle" class="info-tips-icon" size="24"></clr-icon>
                   <div class="tooltip-content table-box">
diff --git a/src/portal/src/app/base/left-side-nav/replication/replication/create-edit-rule/create-edit-rule.component.scss b/src/portal/src/app/base/left-side-nav/replication/replication/create-edit-rule/create-edit-rule.component.scss
index 47254f297..9eeee69a4 100644
--- a/src/portal/src/app/base/left-side-nav/replication/replication/create-edit-rule/create-edit-rule.component.scss
+++ b/src/portal/src/app/base/left-side-nav/replication/replication/create-edit-rule/create-edit-rule.component.scss
@@ -283,4 +283,6 @@ clr-modal {
 .select-width {
     min-width:11rem;
 }
-
+.flex {
+    display: flex;
+}
diff --git a/src/portal/src/app/base/left-side-nav/replication/replication/create-edit-rule/create-edit-rule.component.ts b/src/portal/src/app/base/left-side-nav/replication/replication/create-edit-rule/create-edit-rule.component.ts
index bd17829f7..f313e3882 100644
--- a/src/portal/src/app/base/left-side-nav/replication/replication/create-edit-rule/create-edit-rule.component.ts
+++ b/src/portal/src/app/base/left-side-nav/replication/replication/create-edit-rule/create-edit-rule.component.ts
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ export class CreateEditRuleComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
       !this.isRuleNameValid ||
       (!this.isPushMode && !sourceRegistry ||
         this.isPushMode && !destRegistry)
-      || !(!this.isNotSchedule() && cron && this.cronInputValid(this.ruleForm.value.trigger.trigger_settings.cron || '')
+      || !(!this.isNotSchedule() && cron && cronRegex(this.ruleForm.value.trigger.trigger_settings.cron || '')
         || this.isNotSchedule()));
   }
 
@@ -545,19 +545,13 @@ export class CreateEditRuleComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
     }
     return filtersArray;
   }
-  cronInputValid(cronValue): boolean {
-    return cronRegex(cronValue);
-  }
-  get cronTouched(): boolean {
-    let triggerControl = this.ruleForm.controls.trigger as FormGroup;
-    if (!triggerControl) {
-      return false;
-    }
-    let trigger_settingsControls = triggerControl.controls.trigger_settings as FormGroup;
-    if (!trigger_settingsControls) {
-      return false;
-    }
-    return trigger_settingsControls.controls.cron.touched || trigger_settingsControls.controls.cron.dirty;
+  cronInputShouldShowError(): boolean {
+    return this.ruleForm && this.ruleForm.get('trigger')
+        && this.ruleForm.get('trigger').get('trigger_settings')
+        && this.ruleForm.get('trigger').get('trigger_settings').get('cron')
+        && (this.ruleForm.get('trigger').get('trigger_settings').get('cron').touched
+            || this.ruleForm.get('trigger').get('trigger_settings').get('cron').dirty)
+        && !cronRegex(this.ruleForm.get('trigger').get('trigger_settings').get('cron').value);
   }
   stickLabel(value, index) {
     value.select = !value.select;
@@ -582,6 +576,10 @@ export class CreateEditRuleComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
         if (!e.target.value || (e.target.value && e.target.value.indexOf(PREFIX)) !== 0) {
           e.target.value = PREFIX;
         }
+        e.target.value = e.target.value.replace(/\s+/g, ' ');
+        if (e.target.value && e.target.value.split(/\s+/g).length > 6) {
+          e.target.value = e.target.value.trim();
+        }
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/portal/src/app/shared/components/cron-schedule/cron-schedule.component.html b/src/portal/src/app/shared/components/cron-schedule/cron-schedule.component.html
index 165623b6b..dc8d2a965 100644
--- a/src/portal/src/app/shared/components/cron-schedule/cron-schedule.component.html
+++ b/src/portal/src/app/shared/components/cron-schedule/cron-schedule.component.html
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
             <div class="height-1rem clr-input-wrapper">
                 <label for="targetCron" aria-haspopup="true" role="tooltip" [class.clr-error]="dateInvalid"
                        class="tooltip tooltip-validation tooltip-md tooltip-top-left cron-label">
-                    <input type="text" (blur)="blurInvalid()" (input)="inputInvalid($event)" name="targetCron" id="targetCron"
+                    <input autocomplete="off" type="text" (blur)="blurInvalid()" (input)="inputInvalid($event)" name="targetCron" id="targetCron"
                            #cronStringInput="ngModel" required class="clr-input form-control ml-1" [(ngModel)]="cronString">
                     <clr-tooltip>
                         <clr-icon clrTooltipTrigger shape="info-circle" size="24"></clr-icon>
diff --git a/src/portal/src/app/shared/units/utils.ts b/src/portal/src/app/shared/units/utils.ts
index d175fe66e..d998fee4a 100644
--- a/src/portal/src/app/shared/units/utils.ts
+++ b/src/portal/src/app/shared/units/utils.ts
@@ -3,8 +3,9 @@ import { HttpHeaders } from '@angular/common/http';
 import { RequestQueryParams } from '../services';
 import { DebugElement } from '@angular/core';
 import { Comparator, State, HttpOptionInterface, HttpOptionTextInterface, QuotaUnitInterface } from '../services';
-import { QuotaUnits, StorageMultipleConstant, LimitCount } from '../entities/shared.const';
+import { QuotaUnits, StorageMultipleConstant } from '../entities/shared.const';
 import { AbstractControl } from "@angular/forms";
+import { isValidCron } from 'cron-validator';
 /**
  * Api levels
  */
@@ -463,17 +464,16 @@ export function getChanges(original: any, afterChange: any): { [key: string]: an
     return changes;
 }
 
+/**
+ * validate cron expressions
+ * @param testValue
+ */
 export function cronRegex(testValue: any): boolean {
-    const regSecond = "^((([0-9])*|(\\*))(\\-|\\,|\\/)?([0-9])*)*\\s+";
-    const regMinute = "((([0-9])*|(\\*))(\\-|\\,|\\/)?([0-9])*)*\\s+";
-    const regHour = "((([0-9])*|(\\*))(\\-|\\,|\\/)?([0-9])*)*\\s+";
-    const regDay = "((([0-9])*|(\\*|\\?))(\\-|\\,|\\/)?([0-9])*)*\\s+";
-    const regMonth = "((([0-9a-zA-Z])*|(\\*))(\\-|\\,|\\/)?([0-9a-zA-Z])*)*\\s+";
-    const regWeek = "(((([0-9a-zA-Z])*|(\\*|\\?))(\\-|\\,|\\/)?([0-9a-zA-Z])*))*(|\\s)+";
-    const regYear = "((([0-9])*|(\\*|\\?))(\\-|\\,|\\/)?([0-9])*)$";
-    const regEx = regSecond + regMinute + regHour + regDay + regMonth + regWeek + regYear;
-    let reg = new RegExp(regEx, "i");
-    return reg.test(testValue.trim());
+    // must have 6 fields
+    if (testValue && testValue.trim().split(/\s+/g).length < 6) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    return isValidCron(testValue, {seconds: true, alias: true, allowBlankDay: true});
 }
 
 /**