Special Variables

ansible_check_mode
Boolean that indicates if we are in check mode or not

ansible_collection_name
The name of the collection the task that is executing is a part of. In the format of namespace.collection

ansible_config_file
The full path of used Ansible configuration file

ansible_dependent_role_names
The names of the roles currently imported into the current play as dependencies of other plays

ansible_diff_mode
Boolean that indicates if we are in diff mode or not

ansible_forks
Integer reflecting the number of maximum forks available to this run

ansible_index_var
The name of the value provided to loop_control.index_var. Added in 2.9

ansible_inventory_sources
List of sources used as inventory

ansible_limit
Contents of the --limit CLI option for the current execution of Ansible

ansible_loop
A dictionary/map containing extended loop information when enabled through loop_control.extended

ansible_loop_var
The name of the value provided to loop_control.loop_var. Added in 2.8

ansible_parent_role_names
When the current role is being executed by means of an include_role <include_role_module> or import_role <import_role_module> action, this variable contains a list of all parent roles, with the most recent role (in other words, the role that included/imported this role) being the first item in the list. When multiple inclusions occur, this list lists the last role (in other words, the role that included this role) as the first item in the list. It is also possible that a specific role exists more than once in this list.

For example: When role A includes role B, inside role B, ansible_parent_role_names will equal to ['A']. If role B then includes role C, the list becomes ['B', 'A'].

ansible_parent_role_paths
When the current role is being executed by means of an include_role <include_role_module> or import_role <import_role_module> action, this variable contains a list of all parent roles paths, with the most recent role (in other words, the role that included/imported this role) being the first item in the list. Please refer to ansible_parent_role_names for the order of items in this list.

ansible_play_batch
List of active hosts in the current play run limited by the serial, aka 'batch'. Failed/Unreachable hosts are not considered 'active'.

ansible_play_hosts
List of hosts in the current play run, not limited by the serial. Failed/Unreachable hosts are excluded from this list.

ansible_play_hosts_all
List of all the hosts that were targeted by the play

ansible_play_name
The name of the currently executed play. Added in 2.8. (name attribute of the play, not file name of the playbook.)

ansible_play_role_names
The names of the roles currently imported into the current play. This list does not contain the role names that are implicitly included through dependencies.

ansible_playbook_python
The path to the python interpreter being used by Ansible on the control node

ansible_role_name
The fully qualified collection role name, in the format of namespace.collection.role_name

ansible_role_names
The names of the roles currently imported into the current play, or roles referenced as dependencies of the roles imported into the current play.

ansible_run_tags
Contents of the --tags CLI option, which specifies which tags will be included for the current run. Note that if --tags is not passed, this variable will default to ["all"].

ansible_search_path
Current search path for action plugins and lookups, in other words, where we search for relative paths when you do template: src=myfile

ansible_skip_tags
Contents of the --skip-tags CLI option, which specifies which tags will be skipped for the current run.

ansible_verbosity
Current verbosity setting for Ansible

ansible_version
Dictionary/map that contains information about the current running version of ansible, it has the following keys: full, major, minor, revision and string.

group_names
List of groups the current host is part of, it always reflects the inventory_hostname and ignores delegation.

groups
A dictionary/map with all the groups in inventory and each group has the list of hosts that belong to it

hostvars
A dictionary/map with all the hosts in inventory and variables assigned to them

inventory_dir
The directory of the inventory source in which the inventory_hostname was first defined. This always reflects the inventory_hostname and ignores delegation.

inventory_hostname
The inventory name for the 'current' host being iterated over in the play. This is not affected by delegation, it always reflects the original host for the task

inventory_hostname_short
The short version of inventory_hostname, is the first section after splitting it via .. As an example, for the inventory_hostname of www.example.com, www would be the inventory_hostname_short This is affected by delegation, so it will reflect the 'short name' of the delegated host

inventory_file
The file name of the inventory source in which the inventory_hostname was first defined. Ignores delegation and always reflects the information for the inventory_hostname.

omit
Special variable that allows you to 'omit' an option in a task, for example - user: name=bob home={{ bobs_home|default(omit) }}

play_hosts
Deprecated, the same as ansible_play_batch

playbook_dir
The path to the directory of the current playbook being executed. NOTE: This might be different than directory of the playbook passed to the ansible-playbook command line when a playbook contains a import_playbook statement.

role_name
The name of the role currently being executed.

role_names
Deprecated, the same as ansible_play_role_names

role_path
The path to the dir of the currently running role

ansible_facts
Contains any facts gathered or cached for the inventory_hostname Facts are normally gathered by the setup <setup_module> module automatically in a play, but any module can return facts.

ansible_local
Contains any 'local facts' gathered or cached for the inventory_hostname. The keys available depend on the custom facts created. See the setup <setup_module> module and local_facts for more details.

ansible_become_user
The user Ansible 'becomes' after using privilege escalation. This must be available to the 'login user'.

ansible_connection
The connection plugin actually used for the task on the target host.

ansible_host
The ip/name of the target host to use instead of inventory_hostname.

ansible_python_interpreter
The path to the Python executable Ansible should use on the target host.

ansible_user
The user Ansible 'logs in' as.