# Does Ansible support inclusion of no-op/empty/placeholder tasks?

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/does-ansible-support-inclusion-of-no-op-empty-placeholder-tasks/25728>\
**Category:** Ansible Project\
**Created:** [October 12, 2017, 6:44am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/does-ansible-support-inclusion-of-no-op-empty-placeholder-tasks/25728 "2017-10-12T06:44:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Behrang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Behrang](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Behrang)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2017, 6:44am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/does-ansible-support-inclusion-of-no-op-empty-placeholder-tasks/25728/1 "2017-10-12T06:44:01Z")

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In some test frameworks, we can start a test suite by providing a list of empty tests. Then we can implement the tests one by one.

Similarly, I want to start a playbook by only providing the set of tasks I want to execute, without implementing them:

- hosts: localhost  
tasks:
- name: Step 1
- name: Step 2
- name: Step 3

But this is invalid syntax in Ansible.

Any workarounds available to do this?

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**Author:** ![jborean](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/jborean/32/1525_2.png) [@jborean](https://forum.ansible.com/u/jborean)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2017, 6:55am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/does-ansible-support-inclusion-of-no-op-empty-placeholder-tasks/25728/2 "2017-10-12T06:55:12Z")

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The easiest way is to use the debug module and you can output an empty string, it would work like this

- name: test 1  
debug:  
msg: “”

- name: test 2  
debug:  
msg: “”

You can also use meta: noop but it isn’t recommended for general use, it would work like this

- name: test 1  
meta: noop

- name: test 2  
meta: noop

Thanks

Jordan