# Can I use group name in /etc/ansible/hosts as a variable in templates or playbook script?

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/can-i-use-group-name-in-etc-ansible-hosts-as-a-variable-in-templates-or-playbook-script/12402>\
**Category:** Ansible Project\
**Tags:** ansible-project\
**Created:** [February 22, 2013, 5:23am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/can-i-use-group-name-in-etc-ansible-hosts-as-a-variable-in-templates-or-playbook-script/12402 "2013-02-22T05:23:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Michael\_DeHaan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@Michael\_DeHaan](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2013, 5:23am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/can-i-use-group-name-in-etc-ansible-hosts-as-a-variable-in-templates-or-playbook-script/12402/1 "2013-02-22T05:23:40Z")

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{{ inventory\_hostname }}

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**Author:** ![rella.guo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@rella.guo](https://forum.ansible.com/u/rella.guo)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2013, 5:58am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/can-i-use-group-name-in-etc-ansible-hosts-as-a-variable-in-templates-or-playbook-script/12402/2 "2013-02-22T05:58:48Z")

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Thank you!

Another question:  
I has one task on host group A. This task need hosts name in host group B as variable in template. Is it possible?

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**Author:** ![Michael\_DeHaan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@Michael\_DeHaan](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Michael_DeHaan)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2013, 4:14pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/can-i-use-group-name-in-etc-ansible-hosts-as-a-variable-in-templates-or-playbook-script/12402/3 "2013-02-22T16:14:50Z")

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Absolutely!

{{ groups["groupB"] }}

in a template contains the list of all host names in group B.

You can even iterate across it to access "hostvars" to pull out the IP  
addresses of all the machines in that other group, etc!

--Michael