# "Host declaration is required" error while hosts are (seemingly) defined.

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/host-declaration-is-required-error-while-hosts-are-seemingly-defined/11517>\
**Category:** Ansible Project\
**Created:** [May 8, 2012, 7:49pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/host-declaration-is-required-error-while-hosts-are-seemingly-defined/11517 "2012-05-08T19:49:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Wes\_Johnson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@Wes\_Johnson](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Wes_Johnson)\
**Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 7:49pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/host-declaration-is-required-error-while-hosts-are-seemingly-defined/11517/1 "2012-05-08T19:49:59Z")

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Not sure why, but I get this error while trying to run my first playbook…

> [wes@mgmt001 playbooks]$ ansible-playbook nrpe.yml
> 
> PLAY [all] \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*  
> SETUP PHASE \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*  
> ok: [[testansible.dal05.domain.com](http://testansible.dal05.domain.com)]  
> ERROR: hosts declaration is required

I’m new to yaml, but I don’t understand why I’m experiencing this issue (and Ansible seems to get the ‘testansible’ host, at least partially).

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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:** [May 8, 2012, 8:01pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/host-declaration-is-required-error-while-hosts-are-seemingly-defined/11517/2 "2012-05-08T20:01:47Z")

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A playbook is a list of plays. Each list item starts with a “-”, and each play must have a host declaration.

You started a new play with the “-” before tasks. Keep tasks at the same level with hosts and users and it will be fine.

–Michael

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Wes\_Johnson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@Wes\_Johnson](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Wes_Johnson)\
**Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 11:20pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/host-declaration-is-required-error-while-hosts-are-seemingly-defined/11517/3 "2012-05-08T23:20:52Z")

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That now makes sense. Thanks!