Welcome to the Ansible User Guide! This guide covers how to work with Ansible, including using the command line, working with inventory, interacting with data, writing tasks, plays, and playbooks; executing playbooks, and reference materials. This page outlines the most common situations and questions that bring readers to this section. If you prefer a traditional table of contents, you can find one at the bottom of the page.
Getting started
===============
* I'd like an overview of how Ansible works. Where can I find:
* a :ref:`quick video overview <quickstart_guide>`
* a :ref:`text introduction <intro_getting_started>`
* I'm ready to learn about Ansible. What :ref:`basic_concepts` do I need to learn?
* I want to use Ansible without writing a playbook. How do I use :ref:`ad-hoc commands <intro_adhoc>`?
Writing tasks, plays, and playbooks
===================================
* I'm writing my first playbook. What should I :ref:`know before I begin <playbooks_tips_and_tricks>`?
* I have a specific use case for a task or play:
* Executing tasks with elevated privileges or as a different user with :ref:`become <become>`
* Repeating a task once for each item in a list with :ref:`loops <playbooks_loops>`
* Executing tasks on a different machine with :ref:`delegation <playbooks_delegation>`
* Running tasks only when certain conditions apply with :ref:`conditionals <playbooks_conditionals>` and evaluating conditions with :ref:`tests <playbooks_tests>`
* Grouping a set of tasks together with :ref:`blocks <playbooks_blocks>`
* Running tasks only when something has changed with :ref:`handlers <handlers>`
* I want to leverage the power of re-usable Ansible artifacts. How do I create re-usable :ref:`files <playbooks_reuse>` and :ref:`roles <playbooks_reuse_roles>`?
* I need to incorporate one file or playbook inside another. What is the difference between :ref:`including and importing <playbooks_reuse_includes>`?
* I want to run selected parts of my playbook. How do I add and use :ref:`tags <tags>`?
Working with inventory
======================
* I have a list of servers and devices I want to automate. How do I create :ref:`inventory <intro_inventory>` to track them?
* I use cloud services and constantly have servers and devices starting and stopping. How do I track them using :ref:`dynamic inventory <intro_dynamic_inventory>`?
* I want to automate specific sub-sets of my inventory. How do I use :ref:`patterns <intro_patterns>`?
Interacting with data
=====================
* I want to use a single playbook against multiple systems with different attributes. How do I use :ref:`variables <playbooks_variables>` to handle the differences?
* I want to retrieve data about my systems. How do I access :ref:`Ansible facts <vars_and_facts>`?
* I need to access sensitive data like passwords with Ansible. How can I protect that data with :ref:`Ansible vault <vault>`?
* I want to change the data I have, so I can use it in a task. How do I use :ref:`filters <playbooks_filters>` to transform my data?
* I need to retrieve data from an external datastore. How do I use :ref:`lookups <playbooks_lookups>` to access databases and APIs?
* I want to ask playbook users to supply data. How do I get user input with :ref:`prompts <playbooks_prompts>`?
* I use certain modules frequently. How do I streamline my inventory and playbooks by :ref:`setting default values for module parameters <module_defaults>`?
