# can we use loop modules twice in ansible playbook. **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Tags:** aws\ **Created:** [April 25, 2017, 6:55pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/can-we-use-loop-modules-twice-in-ansible-playbook/24312 "2017-04-25T18:55:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![balubhai555](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@balubhai555](https://forum.ansible.com/u/balubhai555)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2017, 6:55pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/can-we-use-loop-modules-twice-in-ansible-playbook/24312/1 "2017-04-25T18:55:27Z")
Hello team, I want to 1. Create AWS ec2 instance using one " **with\_items: ec2"** 2. After that I want to insert the IP address of those instances into **/etc/ansible/hosts** file. For that I am using **local\_action: lineinfile .** But after that I want to use again with\_items: “{{ec2.instances}}” At that time it shows error, That Item is undefined. Are we use those with\_items twice in a playbook. Any example please suggest me. Thank you in advance. ---
**Author:** ![jtanner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@jtanner](https://forum.ansible.com/u/jtanner)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 1:17pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/can-we-use-loop-modules-twice-in-ansible-playbook/24312/2 "2017-04-26T13:17:26Z")
A variable does not disappear after being used in an item loop, so I suspect you aren’t referring to the variable correctly in the second task. Please post an example playbook and the full -vvvv output with the error. ---
**Author:** ![balubhai555](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@balubhai555](https://forum.ansible.com/u/balubhai555)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 1:54pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/can-we-use-loop-modules-twice-in-ansible-playbook/24312/3 "2017-04-26T13:54:07Z")
> > [![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cvX4IudbEQo/WQCllh2EK6I/AAAAAAAAAH0/m-RoG7m1Un4ut28Ffw5xlYjCW-sZOyYcgCLcB/s320/Screenshot%2B%25281104%2529.png)](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cvX4IudbEQo/WQCllh2EK6I/AAAAAAAAAH0/m-RoG7m1Un4ut28Ffw5xlYjCW-sZOyYcgCLcB/s1600/Screenshot%2B%25281104%2529.png) > > > > tasks: > > > > - name: Launch EC2 instance > > ec2: > > key\_name: “{{keypair}}” > > group: default > > count: “{{count}}” > > instance\_type: “{{instance\_type}}” > > instance\_tags: ‘{“Name”: “{{item.names}}”,“Type”:“{{tag\_Type}}”,“Environment”:“{{tag\_Environment}}”}’ > > image: “{{image}}” > > wait: true > > region: “{{region}}” > > > > aws\_access\_key: \*\*\*\*\* > > aws\_secret\_key: \*\*\*\*\* > > register: ec2 > > with\_items: > > > > - names: Ansible-1 > > > > - names: Ansible-2 > > > > - name: One Add the newly created EC2 instance(s) to the local host group (located inside the directory) > > local\_action: lineinfile dest=“/etc/hosts” regexp={{ item.public\_ip }} insertafter=“[launched]” line=“{{ item.public\_ip }} ansible\_ssh\_private\_key\_file=~/.ssh/{{ keypair }}.pem” > > > > with\_items: “{{ec2.instances}}” > > - name: wait for ssh to come up > > wait\_for: > > host: “{{ ansible\_host }}” > > port: 22 > > delay: 60 > > timeout: 320 > > state: started > > > > with\_items: “{{ec2.instances}}” > > > > - name: Print all ec2 variables > > debug: var=ec2 [![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dbp1hcpEmz0/WQCmehD9_oI/AAAAAAAAAIA/yGn1basj9D4I0UgOYEvpI4MbezIJUgusgCLcB/s320/Screenshot%2B%25281104%2529.png)](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dbp1hcpEmz0/WQCmehD9_oI/AAAAAAAAAIA/yGn1basj9D4I0UgOYEvpI4MbezIJUgusgCLcB/s1600/Screenshot%2B%25281104%2529.png) ---
**Author:** ![groupfiles14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/54ee81/32.png) [@groupfiles14](https://forum.ansible.com/u/groupfiles14)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 4:15pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/can-we-use-loop-modules-twice-in-ansible-playbook/24312/4 "2017-04-26T16:15:51Z")
if you debug that you will get the real result name, it may be something like ec2.results.instances or something like that. can you post the debug output of ec2 variable? ---
**Author:** ![balubhai555](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@balubhai555](https://forum.ansible.com/u/balubhai555)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2017, 9:11pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/can-we-use-loop-modules-twice-in-ansible-playbook/24312/5 "2017-04-26T21:11:08Z")
Thanks for your reply, Will you please explain more. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![groupfiles14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/54ee81/32.png) [@groupfiles14](https://forum.ansible.com/u/groupfiles14)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2017, 3:08am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/can-we-use-loop-modules-twice-in-ansible-playbook/24312/6 "2017-04-27T03:08:42Z")
tasks: - name: Launch EC2 instance ec2: key\_name: “{{keypair}}” group: default count: “{{count}}” instance\_type: “{{instance\_type}}” instance\_tags: ‘{“Name”: “{{item.names}}”,“Type”:“{{tag\_Type}}”,“Environment”:“{{tag\_Environment}}”}’ image: “{{image}}” wait: true region: “{{region}}” aws\_access\_key: \*\*\*\*\* aws\_secret\_key: \*\*\*\*\* register: ec2 with\_items: - names: Ansible-1 - names: Ansible-2 **debug: var=ec2** add the above bold line in your playbook, it will throw an output , paste that here ---
**Author:** ![balubhai555](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@balubhai555](https://forum.ansible.com/u/balubhai555)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2017, 1:45pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/can-we-use-loop-modules-twice-in-ansible-playbook/24312/7 "2017-04-27T13:45:42Z")
Thanks for your quick reply. Already entered those bold lines. Got the same issue. ---
**Author:** ![groupfiles14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/54ee81/32.png) [@groupfiles14](https://forum.ansible.com/u/groupfiles14)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2017, 3:54pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/can-we-use-loop-modules-twice-in-ansible-playbook/24312/8 "2017-04-27T15:54:00Z")
can you please show the output of it…i dont see that in the screenshot