ansible-playbook
Write and review Ansible playbooks following best practices. Use when the user says "write ansible", "ansible playbook", "review playbook", "automate with ansible", or asks to configure servers with Ansible.
Best use case
ansible-playbook is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
Write and review Ansible playbooks following best practices. Use when the user says "write ansible", "ansible playbook", "review playbook", "automate with ansible", or asks to configure servers with Ansible.
Teams using ansible-playbook should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.
When to use this skill
- You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.
When not to use this skill
- You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/ansible-playbook/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How ansible-playbook Compares
| Feature / Agent | ansible-playbook | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Write and review Ansible playbooks following best practices. Use when the user says "write ansible", "ansible playbook", "review playbook", "automate with ansible", or asks to configure servers with Ansible.
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
SKILL.md Source
# Ansible Playbook
Write and review Ansible playbooks, roles, and tasks following best practices.
## Instructions
When writing:
1. Understand the target configuration goal
2. Check existing playbooks/roles for patterns to follow
3. Write idempotent tasks with proper error handling
4. Include appropriate tags and handlers
When reviewing:
1. Read the playbook/role
2. Check for issues listed below
3. Suggest improvements
## Playbook structure
```yaml
---
- name: Configure web servers
hosts: webservers
become: true
vars_files:
- vars/main.yml
handlers:
- name: Restart nginx
ansible.builtin.service:
name: nginx
state: restarted
tasks:
- name: Install nginx
ansible.builtin.apt:
name: nginx
state: present
update_cache: true
notify: Restart nginx
tags: [nginx, packages]
```
## Best practices
- MUST use FQCNs: `ansible.builtin.copy` not `copy`
- MUST use `name:` for every task
- MUST use `become:` explicitly, not assuming root
- Use handlers for service restarts
- Use `block/rescue/always` for error handling
- Use `ansible-vault` for secrets
- Use variables for anything environment-specific
- Use `--check` mode compatible tasks where possible
## Security checks
- No plaintext passwords in playbooks
- Secrets in vault-encrypted files
- `no_log: true` on tasks with sensitive data
- File permissions explicitly set
- SSH keys not hardcoded
## Common patterns
```yaml
# Idempotent file content
- name: Configure app
ansible.builtin.template:
src: app.conf.j2
dest: /etc/app/config
mode: "0644"
owner: app
group: app
validate: "/usr/bin/app --check %s"
notify: Restart app
# Package installation
- name: Install packages
ansible.builtin.apt:
name: "{{ packages }}"
state: present
vars:
packages:
- nginx
- certbot
```
## Rules
- MUST use fully qualified collection names (FQCNs)
- MUST include task names
- Never hardcode secrets in playbooks
- Never use `shell:` when a module exists
- Always make tasks idempotentRelated Skills
ansible
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ansible-workflow
Ansible automation workflow guidelines. Activate when working with Ansible playbooks, ansible-playbook, inventory files (.yml, .ini), or Ansible-specific patterns.
ansible-validator
Comprehensive toolkit for validating, linting, testing, and automating Ansible playbooks, roles, and collections. Use this skill when working with Ansible files (.yml, .yaml playbooks, roles, inventories), validating automation code, debugging playbook execution, performing dry-run testing with check mode, or working with custom modules and collections.
ansible-testinfra
Bootstrap minimal testinfra pytest suite for an Ansible role and remind to run via uv
ansible-roles
Use when structuring and reusing code with Ansible roles for modular, maintainable automation and configuration management.
ansible-role-init
Scaffold a new Ansible role via ansible-galaxy init
ansible-playbooks
Use when writing and organizing Ansible playbooks for automated configuration management and infrastructure orchestration.
ansible-inventory
Use when managing hosts and groups in Ansible inventory for organizing infrastructure and applying configurations across environments.
ansible-host-limiter
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ansible-fix
ALWAYS use this skill immediately after running 'ansible-galaxy init' to create a new Ansible role. Also use when the user asks to fix ansible-lint errors or when ansible-lint output shows fixable issues like yaml[comments], schema[meta], meta-incorrect, name[play], or role-name[path] violations.
ansible-expert
Expert-level Ansible for configuration management, automation, and infrastructure as code
ansible-dev-setup
Generate and manage cross-platform Ansible playbooks for development environment setup across macOS, Linux, and Termux. Use when working with development environment automation, package installation configuration, or Ansible playbook generation.