# Does each host and group names must be unique ?

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/does-each-host-and-group-names-must-be-unique/44667>\
**Category:** Get Help\
**Tags:** ansible\
**Created:** [October 11, 2025, 10:57am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/does-each-host-and-group-names-must-be-unique/44667 "2025-10-11T10:57:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 5

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**Author:** ![utoddl](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/utoddl/32/249_2.png) [@utoddl](https://forum.ansible.com/u/utoddl)\
**Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 11:19am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/does-each-host-and-group-names-must-be-unique/44667/5 "2025-10-14T11:19:49Z")

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I’m either missing a point or being insufferably pedantic, but I find the “must be unique” phrase confusing. Names of groups (and hosts) _are_ unique, regardless of the author’s intent. (See [this discussion](https://forum.ansible.com/t/question-about-yml-inventory-structure/44418) from last month for example.) A given string can be used as a group name (or host name) any number of times in a single or multiple inventory sources; each such instance contributes to the definition of a single group (or host).

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