# How are group\_vars merged?

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-are-group-vars-merged/34410>\
**Category:** Ansible Project\
**Created:** [January 7, 2021, 5:25pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-are-group-vars-merged/34410 "2021-01-07T17:25:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Axel\_Rau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@Axel\_Rau](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Axel_Rau)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2021, 5:25pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-are-group-vars-merged/34410/1 "2021-01-07T17:25:28Z")

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Hi all,

I try to understand how group\_vars are merged:

all:  
&nbsp;&nbsp;children:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;...  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;dmz5\_jails:  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;hosts:  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;...  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;ns5:  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;...

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;...  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;dmz5\_hosts:  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;children:  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;...  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;dmz5\_jails:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;all\_jails:  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;children:  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;...  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;dmz5\_jails:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;ns:  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;hosts:  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;ns5:

lr\_ns\_public\_zones: [  
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;...  
]

A playbook:

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jean-yves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a587f6/32.png) [@jean-yves](https://forum.ansible.com/u/jean-yves)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2021, 7:58pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-are-group-vars-merged/34410/2 "2021-01-07T19:58:55Z")

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Hi,

Perhaps here is what you're looking for...

[https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/user\_guide/intro\_inventory.html#how-variables-are-merged](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/user_guide/intro_inventory.html#how-variables-are-merged)

There's a parameter available to change the default behaviour

Regards,

JYL

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Axel\_Rau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@Axel\_Rau](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Axel_Rau)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 12:59pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-are-group-vars-merged/34410/3 "2021-01-08T12:59:59Z")

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Hi,

> Perhaps here is what you’re looking for…

I have variable ns defined only in inventory/group\_vars/ns.yaml, but it is not used at all.  
So something must be wrong with my inventory.

Is ns5 not in group ns?

Or is something wrong with the playboo?  
Does it matter that it uses group ns and nor host ns5?

- hosts: ns

Thank you for answering,  
Axel