# Special Variables

## Magic

These variables cannot be set directly by the user; Ansible will always override them to reflect internal state.

ansible_check_mode

  Boolean that indicates if we are in check mode or not

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_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 via `loop_control.extended`

ansible_loop_var

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

ansible_index_var

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

ansible_parent_role_names

  When the current role is being executed by means of an include_role or import_role action, this variable contains a list of all parent roles, with the most recent role (i.e. the role that included/imported this role) being the first item in the list. When multiple inclusions occur, this list lists the last role (i.e. 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 or import_role action, this variable contains a list of all parent roles, with the most recent role (i.e. 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

  The same as ansible_play_batch

ansible_play_hosts_all

  List of all the hosts that were targeted by the play

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 via dependencies.

ansible_playbook_python

  The path to the python interpreter being used by Ansible on the controller

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_role_name

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

ansible_collection_name

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

ansible_run_tags

  Contents of the `--tags` CLI option, which specifies which tags will be included for the current run.

ansible_search_path

  Current search path for action plugins and lookups, i.e 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

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_hostname

  The inventory name for the ‘current’ host being iterated over in the play

inventory_hostname_short

  The short version of inventory_hostname

inventory_dir

  The directory of the inventory source in which the inventory_hostname was first defined

inventory_file

  The file name of the inventory source in which the inventory_hostname was first defined

omit

  Special variable that allows you to ‘omit’ an option in a task, i.e `- user: name=bob home={{ bobs_home|default(omit) }}`

play_hosts

  Deprecated, the same as ansible_play_batch

ansible_play_name

  The name of the currently executed play. Added in `2.8`.

playbook_dir

  The path to the directory of the playbook that was passed to the `ansible-playbook` command line.

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

## Facts

These are variables that contain information pertinent to the current host (inventory_hostname). They are only available if gathered first.

ansible_facts

  Contains any facts gathered or cached for the inventory_hostname Facts are normally gathered by the setup 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 module for more details.

## Connection variables

Connection variables are normally used to set the specifics on how to execute actions on a target. Most of them correspond to connection plugins, but not all are specific to them; other plugins like shell, terminal and become are normally involved. Only the common ones are described as each connection/become/shell/etc plugin can define its own overrides and specific variables. See Controlling how Ansible behaves: precedence rules for how connection variables interact with configuration settings, command-line options, and playbook keywords.

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.