* [Topics](/en/topics "Topics") * [Automation and management](/en/topics/automation "Automation and management") * What is an Ansible Playbook? What is an Ansible Playbook? ============================ Updated February 10, 2026•*5*-minute read Copy URL Jump to section --------------- OverviewHow does it work?Video overviewExample of Ansible PlaybookHow to use Ansible PlaybooksWhy Red Hat? Overview -------- An Ansible® Playbook is a blueprint of automation tasks, which are IT actions executed with limited manual effort across an inventory of IT solutions. Playbooks tell Ansible *what* to do to *which* *devices*. Instead of manually applying the same action to hundreds or thousands of similar technologies across IT environments, executing a playbook automatically completes the same action for the specified type of inventory—such as a set of routers. Playbooks also serve as frameworks of prewritten code that developers can use ad-hoc or as a starting template. Playbooks are regularly used to automate [IT infrastructure](/en/topics/cloud-computing/what-is-it-infrastructure)—such as operating systems and [Kubernetes](/en/topics/containers/what-is-kubernetes) platforms—networks, security systems, and code repositories like GitHub. IT staff can use playbooks to program applications, services, server nodes, and other devices, without the manual overhead of creating everything from scratch. And playbooks—as well as the conditions, variables, and tasks within them—can be saved, shared, or reused indefinitely. This makes it easier for IT teams to codify operational knowledge and ensure that the same actions are performed consistently. [Write your first playbook with this free interactive lab](/en/interactive-labs/ansible "interactive lab | write your first Ansible Playbook") How do Ansible Playbooks work? ------------------------------ Ansible Playbooks are lists of tasks that automatically execute for your specified inventory or groups of hosts. One or more Ansible tasks can be combined to make a *play*—an ordered grouping of tasks mapped to specific hosts—and tasks are executed in the order in which they are written. A playbook can include 1 or more plays as well as [Ansible Roles](/en/topics/automation/what-is-an-ansible-role)—bundles of tasks and associated automation assets that can be run in multiple plays or reused across playbooks. Tasks are executed by *modules*, each of which performs a specific task in a playbook. A [module](/en/topics/automation/what-is-an-ansible-module) contains metadata that determines when and where a task is executed, as well as which user executes it. There are thousands of Ansible modules that perform all kinds of IT tasks, such as: ### Cloud management [oci\_vcn](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/2.8/modules/oci_vcn_module.html#oci-vcn-module) creates, deletes, or updates [virtual](/en/topics/virtualization) [cloud](/en/topics/cloud-computing) networks in Oracle Cloud Infrastructure environments. Similarly, [vmware\_cluster](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/2.8/modules/vmware_cluster_module.html#vmware-cluster-module) adds, removes, or updates VMware vSphere clusters. ### User management [selogin](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/2.8/modules/selogin_module.html#selogin-module) maps [Linux®](/en/topics/linux) operating system (OS) users to [SELinux](/en/topics/linux/what-is-selinux) user, and [gitlab\_user](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/2.9/modules/gitlab_user_module.html#gitlab-user-module) creates, updates, or deletes GitLab users. ### Networking Dozens of modules handle application programming interfaces (APIs); Cisco [IOS](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/2.8/modules/ios_command_module.html#ios-command-module), [NXOS](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/2.8/modules/nxos_command_module.html#nxos-command-module), and [IOS XR](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/2.8/modules/iosxr_command_module.html#iosxr-command-module) devices; as well as [F5 BIG-IP](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/2.8/modules/bigip_command_module.html#bigip-command-module) services and the Arista EOS cloud network operating system. [See a full list of network modules](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/2.9/modules/list_of_network_modules.html) ### Security [Openssh\_cert](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/2.8/modules/openssh_cert_module.html#openssh-cert-module) generates an OpenSSH host or user certificates, and [ipa\_config](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/2.8/modules/ipa_config_module.html#ipa-config-module) manages global FreeIPA configuration settings. ### Configuration management [pip](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/2.9/modules/pip_module.html#pip-module) manages Python library dependencies while [assemble](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/2.9/modules/assemble_module.html#assemble-module) consolidates configuration files from fragments. ### Communication [mail](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/2.8/modules/mail_module.html#mail-module) can automatically send emails based on certain criteria, and [snow\_record](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/2.8/modules/snow_record_module.html#snow-record-module) creates, deletes, or updates a single record in ServiceNow. [Learn the playbook basics with this free learning path](https://developers.redhat.com/learn/ansible/get-started-ansible-playbooks "Developers.redhat.com | Learning path: Get started with Ansible Playbooks") Recommended for you Securing and automating the full infrastructure lifecycle --------------------------------------------------------- [Watch the webinar](https://www.redhat.com/en/events/webinar/securing-and-automating-the-full-infrastructure-lifecycle?percmp=RHCTG0250000455235) Hear from an expert ------------------- This video can't play due to privacy settings To change your settings, select the "Cookie Preferences" link in the footer and opt in to "Advertising Cookies or try disabling adblockers." A practical example of an Ansible Playbook ------------------------------------------ Ansible is capable of communicating with many different device classifications, from cloud-based [REST APIs](/en/topics/api/what-is-a-rest-api), to Linux and Windows systems, networking hardware, and much more. This is a sample of 2 Ansible modules automatically updating 2 types of servers: ``` --- - name: Update web servers   hosts: webservers   become: true   tasks:     - name: Ensure apache is at the latest version       ansible.builtin.yum:         name: httpd         state: latest     - name: Write the apache config file       ansible.builtin.template:         src: /srv/httpd.j2         dest: /etc/httpd.conf         mode: "0644" - name: Update db servers   hosts: databases   become: true   tasks:     - name: Ensure postgresql is at the latest version       ansible.builtin.yum:         name: postgresql         state: latest     - name: Ensure that postgresql is started       ansible.builtin.service:         name: postgresql         state: started ``` The playbook contains 2 plays: * The first checks whether or not web server software is up to date and runs the update if necessary. * The second checks whether or not database server software is up to date and runs the update if necessary. [Get more details on this playbook](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/user_guide/playbooks_intro.html "ansible.com") How do I use Ansible Playbooks? ------------------------------- Ansible uses the [YAML syntax](/en/topics/automation/what-is-yaml). Depending on whom you ask, YAML stands for *yet another markup language* or *YAML ain’t markup language* (a recursive acronym). There are also 2 different, but perfectly acceptable YAML file extensions: .yaml or .yml. There are 2 ways of using Ansible Playbooks: from the command line interface (CLI) or using the [Red Hat® Ansible Automation Platform’s](/en/technologies/management/ansible) push-button deployments. Because YAML is a human-readable language, IT professionals with specific domain expertise—like in network, security, or cloud—can create playbooks without having to learn a complicated coding language. ### From the CLI After installing the open source Ansible project or Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform—which is as straightforward as typing `sudo yum install ansible` in the Red Hat Enterprise Linux CLI—all you need to do is use the [ansible-playbook](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/cli/ansible-playbook.html) command to run Ansible Playbooks. ### From within the platform The Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform web-based user interface includes [push-button Ansible Playbook deployments](https://www.ansible.com/blog/now-available-red-hat-ansible-automation-platform-1.2) that are used as part of larger jobs or job templates. These deployments come with additional safeguards that are particularly helpful to users who are newer to IT automation—or those without as much experience working in the CLI. [A quick guide to running your own playbook](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/user_guide/intro_getting_started.html "ansible.com") Why Red Hat? ------------ [Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform](/en/technologies/management/ansible) is a unified platform that can automate full processes across your IT domains for a variety of use cases—including infrastructure, hybrid cloud, security, and networks, all the way to edge locations. Ansible Automation Platform includes all the tools needed to implement enterprise-wide automation, including an [event-driven solution](/en/technologies/management/ansible/event-driven-ansible), playbooks, and analytics. And it allows your teams to centralize and control your IT infrastructure with a visual dashboard, role-based access control, and other features that will help reduce operational complexity. With a Red Hat subscription, you get [certified, supported content](/en/technologies/management/ansible/content-collections) from Red Hat and our partners, access to hosted management services, and life cycle technical support to scale automation across your organization. And you’ll get expert knowledge gained from our success with thousands of customers. The introduction of [Red Hat Ansible Lightspeed with IBM watsonx Code Assistant](/en/technologies/management/ansible/ansible-lightspeed) makes Ansible even more accessible to beginners and helps experienced automation teams learn, create, and maintain Ansible Automation Platform content more efficiently. This generative AI service accepts prompts entered by a user and then interacts with [IBM watsonx foundation models](https://www.ibm.com/watsonx) to produce code recommendations built on Ansible best practices—helping you convert subject matter expertise into trusted, reliable Ansible code that scales across teams and domains. [Learn more about Ansible Automation Platform](/en/technologies/management/ansible) > The built-in capabilities of Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform provide an accelerator in a box. It’s the de facto standard that many of our vendors and partners also use to write scripts to install, configure, and maintain their technology. > > Jesse Amerson > > IT director, Ulta Beauty [Get the full story](/en/success-stories/ulta-beauty "success story | ulta beauty standardizes on red hat for automation transformation") Recommended for you E-book Automate your hybrid cloud at scale ----------------------------------- Read this e-book to learn about the benefits of automation in hybrid cloud environments. [Read the e-book](https://www.redhat.com/en/resources/automate-your-hybrid-cloud-ebook?percmp=RHCTG0250000455234) All Red Hat product trials -------------------------- Our no-cost product trials help you gain hands-on experience, prepare for a certification, or assess if a product is right for your organization. [Keep reading](/en/products/trials "All Red Hat product trials") Keep reading ------------ ### Why choose Red Hat for automation? Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform includes all the tools needed to share automation across teams and implement enterprise-wide automation. [Read the article](/en/topics/automation/why-choose-red-hat-for-automation "article | Why choose Red Hat for automation") ### Learning Ansible basics Ansible automates IT processes like provisioning and configuration management. Learn the basics of Ansible with this introduction to key concepts. [Read the article](/en/topics/automation/learning-ansible-tutorial "article | Learning Ansible basics") ### How to build an IT automation strategy Isolated automation can only take you so far. To expand automation to all areas of your IT operations, you need an automation strategy that unifies teams, processes, and disconnected workflows. [Read the article](/en/topics/automation/build-an-automation-strategy "article | How to build an IT automation strategy") Automation and management resources ----------------------------------- ### Featured product * #### [Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform](/en/technologies/management/ansible) A platform for implementing enterprise-wide automation, no matter where you are in your automation journey. 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