# how to stop Tower from deleting extra vars in job template when nothing is uncommented

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-to-stop-tower-from-deleting-extra-vars-in-job-template-when-nothing-is-uncommented/35404>\
**Category:** AWX Project\
**Created:** [June 24, 2021, 9:21pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-to-stop-tower-from-deleting-extra-vars-in-job-template-when-nothing-is-uncommented/35404 "2021-06-24T21:21:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Richard\_Kucera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Richard\_Kucera](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Richard_Kucera)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2021, 9:21pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/how-to-stop-tower-from-deleting-extra-vars-in-job-template-when-nothing-is-uncommented/35404/1 "2021-06-24T21:21:26Z")

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Hello,

Newbie here, I’m sure I’m missing something, thanks in advance for any information.

I have found the Extra Variables section to be useful for storing not only variable alternative values (commented out), but limit hints as well (suggested server(s) to go to).

However I lost some information when it happened that there were no uncommented values. Tower deleted them upon saving the job template.

I figure I’m depending on a side-effect, so I saved all the extra var info in separate git repository, if some use comes along and gets it deleted, then I just have to paste back in.

Is there any way to prevent this at a server level or should I file a report?

Thanks!  
p.s. I don’t want to fill out the Survey form for these variables and information, since yaml is more expressive and far less work. I also am trying to avoid separate documentation as in a wiki that nobody will read anyway. The yaml hints in their backup files can also help development of tower CLI scripts.