# Add new line “\\n” character to Ansible set\_fact variable **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [June 3, 2020, 6:12pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/add-new-line-n-character-to-ansible-set-fact-variable/33084 "2020-06-03T18:12:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shifa\_Shaikh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Shifa\_Shaikh](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Shifa_Shaikh)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2020, 6:12pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/add-new-line-n-character-to-ansible-set-fact-variable/33084/1 "2020-06-03T18:12:25Z")
How can I add new line characters to Ansible variable `mailbody. This mailbody variable is used for mail module's body attribute.` I tried the below from suggestions but none of them works. ```auto 1. ``` ```auto - set_fact: mailbody: "{{ mailbody | default('') + 'PROFILE_NAME:' + PROFILE_NAME ~ '\n\nSERVER_NAME:' + SERVER_NAME ~ '\n\nNODE_NAME:' + NODE_NAME ~ '\n\n\n\n' }}" ``` ```auto 2. ``` ```auto mailbody: "{{ mailbody | default('') + 'PROFILE_NAME:' + PROFILE_NAME ~}} {{ 'SERVER_NAME:' + SERVER_NAME ~ }}\n\n{{'NODE_NAME:' + NODE_NAME ~ }}\n\n\n\n" ``` ---
**Author:** ![Dick\_Visser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@Dick\_Visser](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Dick_Visser)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2020, 6:18pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/add-new-line-n-character-to-ansible-set-fact-variable/33084/2 "2020-06-03T18:18:40Z")
I won’t comment on whatever it is you’re trying to do, but in any case you need to use double quotes around the newlines ---
**Author:** ![Shifa\_Shaikh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Shifa\_Shaikh](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Shifa_Shaikh)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2020, 8:57pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/add-new-line-n-character-to-ansible-set-fact-variable/33084/3 "2020-06-03T20:57:48Z")
@Dick VIsser Hi, Upon your suggestion, I tried something like this but it too does not work. ` - set\_fact: mailbody: “{{ mailbody | default(‘’) + ‘PROFILE\_NAME:’ + PROFILE\_NAME ~ "\n\n"‘SERVER\_NAME:’ + SERVER\_NAME ~ "\n\n"‘NODE\_NAME:’ + NODE\_NAME ~ "\n\n\n\n" }}” ` Can someone please suggest? ---
**Author:** ![Shifa\_Shaikh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Shifa\_Shaikh](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Shifa_Shaikh)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2020, 4:41am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/add-new-line-n-character-to-ansible-set-fact-variable/33084/4 "2020-06-04T04:41:30Z")
I tried all of these but have no clue to a solution. mailbody: "{{ mailbody | default(‘’) + ‘PROFILE\_NAME:’ + PROFILE\_NAME + “\n” + ‘SERVER\_NAME:’ + SERVER\_NAME + “\n” + ‘NODE\_NAME:’ + NODE\_NAME + “\n\n\n\n" }}” mailbody: “{{ mailbody | default(‘’) + ‘PROFILE\_NAME:’ + PROFILE\_NAME + ‘\n’ + ‘SERVER\_NAME:’ + SERVER\_NAME + ‘\n’ + ‘NODE\_NAME:’ + NODE\_NAME + '\n\n\n\n' }}” mailbody: "{{ mailbody | default(‘’) + ‘PROFILE\_NAME:’ + PROFILE\_NAME ~ }} \n + {{ ‘SERVER\_NAME:’ + SERVER\_NAME ~ }} + \n + {{ ‘NODE\_NAME:’ + NODE\_NAME ~ }} \n\n\n\n" ---
**Author:** ![racke](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/racke/32/4767_2.png) [@racke](https://forum.ansible.com/u/racke)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2020, 5:01am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/add-new-line-n-character-to-ansible-set-fact-variable/33084/5 "2020-06-04T05:01:04Z")
> I tried all of these but have no clue to a solution. > > mailbody: "{{ mailbody | default('') + 'PROFILE\_NAME:' + PROFILE\_NAME + "\n" + 'SERVER\_NAME:' + SERVER\_NAME + "\n" + > 'NODE\_NAME:' + NODE\_NAME + "\n\n\n\n\" }}" > > mailbody: "{{ mailbody | default('') + 'PROFILE\_NAME:' + PROFILE\_NAME + '\n' + 'SERVER\_NAME:' + SERVER\_NAME + '\n' + > 'NODE\_NAME:' + NODE\_NAME + '\n\n\n\n\' }}" > > mailbody: "{{ mailbody | default('') + 'PROFILE\_NAME:' + PROFILE\_NAME ~ }} \n + {{ 'SERVER\_NAME:' + SERVER\_NAME ~ }} + > \n + {{ 'NODE\_NAME:' + NODE\_NAME ~ }} \n\n\n\n\" Use multiline YAML: [https://yaml-multiline.info/](https://yaml-multiline.info/) Regards         Racke ---
**Author:** ![Shifa\_Shaikh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Shifa\_Shaikh](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Shifa_Shaikh)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2020, 5:21am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/add-new-line-n-character-to-ansible-set-fact-variable/33084/6 "2020-06-04T05:21:56Z")
Stephan Hi, The article does not discuss newline inside parenthesis `{{` inside a variable definition. That is where I have no clue. ---
**Author:** ![racke](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/racke/32/4767_2.png) [@racke](https://forum.ansible.com/u/racke)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2020, 6:07am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/add-new-line-n-character-to-ansible-set-fact-variable/33084/7 "2020-06-04T06:07:37Z")
> Stephan Hi, > > The article does not discuss newline inside parenthesis `{{` inside a variable definition. That is where I have no clue. Hello Shifa, parenthesis are fine inside multiline YAML. Regards          Racke ---
**Author:** ![Shifa\_Shaikh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Shifa\_Shaikh](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Shifa_Shaikh)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2020, 6:54am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/add-new-line-n-character-to-ansible-set-fact-variable/33084/8 "2020-06-04T06:54:05Z")
I tried multiline too as below, but that too fails mailbody: | “{{ mailbody | default(‘’) + 'PROFILE\_NAME: ’ + PROFILE\_NAME }}” + “\n” “{{ 'SERVER\_NAME: ’ + SERVER\_NAME }}” Output: [‘“PROFILE\_NAME: SPROD01” + “[file://\n”\n]\n"\n"SERVER\_NAME: SPROD01SRV01"\n’, ‘“PROFILE\_NAME: SPROD02” + “[file://\n”\n]\n"\n"SERVER\_NAME: SPROD02SRV02"\n’] Also tried: mailbody: | “{{ mailbody | default(‘’) + 'PROFILE\_NAME: ’ + PROFILE\_NAME }}” “{{ 'SERVER\_NAME: ’ + SERVER\_NAME }}” and mailbody: | “{{ mailbody | default(‘’) + 'PROFILE\_NAME: ’ + PROFILE\_NAME }}” + “\n” “{{ 'SERVER\_NAME: ’ + SERVER\_NAME }}” ---
**Author:** ![racke](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/racke/32/4767_2.png) [@racke](https://forum.ansible.com/u/racke)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2020, 7:56am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/add-new-line-n-character-to-ansible-set-fact-variable/33084/9 "2020-06-04T07:56:23Z")
> I tried multiline too as below, but that too fails > > ``` > mailbody: | > "\{\{ mailbody | default\(''\) \+ 'PROFILE\_NAME: ' \+ PROFILE\_NAME \}\}" \+ "\\n" > "\{\{ 'SERVER\_NAME: ' \+ SERVER\_NAME \}\}" > > ``` Please try: mailbody: |   {{ mailbody | default('') }}PROFILE\_NAME: {{ PROFILE\_NAME }}   SERVER\_NAME: + {{ SERVER\_NAME }} Regards          Racke ---
**Author:** ![Shifa\_Shaikh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Shifa\_Shaikh](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Shifa_Shaikh)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2020, 8:50am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/add-new-line-n-character-to-ansible-set-fact-variable/33084/10 "2020-06-04T08:50:37Z")
I see the problem is different than the direction we are debugging. When i write the variable to a file i see new lines but when the variable assigned to email body it does not interpolate the new line instead prints ‘\n’ ` - copy content: “{{ mailbody }}” dest: /tmp/write.log ` ` - name: Send mail mail: host: localhost: port: 25 body: “{{ mailbody }}” ` Can you please suggest? ---
**Author:** ![Dick\_Visser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@Dick\_Visser](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Dick_Visser)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2020, 10:06am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/add-new-line-n-character-to-ansible-set-fact-variable/33084/11 "2020-06-04T10:06:56Z")
> I see the problem is different than the direction we are debugging. > > When i write the variable to a file i see new lines but when the variable assigned to email body it does not interpolate the new line instead prints '\n' > >        - copy >             content: "{{ mailbody }}" >             dest: /tmp/write.log > >     - name: Send mail >       mail: >           host: localhost: There is an extra ':' here? >           port: 25 >           subject: :Hi" There is an extra ':' here? >           body: "{{ mailbody }}" >           from: me@myshop.com >           to: you@yourmail.com > Can you please suggest? You already put two errors in your task which prevent it from running correctly. So in that light, i'm wondering if your actual task does, in fact, contain more differences than what you've posted here. Also, "prints '\n'" indicates that you're echoing? and not mailing? ---
**Author:** ![Shifa\_Shaikh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Shifa\_Shaikh](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Shifa_Shaikh)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2020, 12:05pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/add-new-line-n-character-to-ansible-set-fact-variable/33084/12 "2020-06-04T12:05:58Z")
@Dick Hi, That was a typo the problem remains writing to a file is all good with newlines while writing to email body does not translate “\n” as new line !! Could this be a bug ? ---
**Author:** ![Shifa\_Shaikh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Shifa\_Shaikh](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Shifa_Shaikh)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2020, 12:07pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/add-new-line-n-character-to-ansible-set-fact-variable/33084/13 "2020-06-04T12:07:03Z")
Dick Hi, That was a typo; however, the problem remains!! Writing to a file is all good with newline while writing to email body does not translate “\n” as new line !! Could this be a bug? Kindly suggest. ---
**Author:** ![Dick\_Visser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@Dick\_Visser](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Dick_Visser)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2020, 12:25pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/add-new-line-n-character-to-ansible-set-fact-variable/33084/14 "2020-06-04T12:25:54Z")
Just tried it out and it works fine here. Can you show again the complete playbook? Including the task where the body is generated? That must be the issue I think.