# "New" attribute to supress the task trace before a failing task **URL:** \ **Category:** Get Help\ **Created:** [September 19, 2026, 10:17am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/new-attribute-to-supress-the-task-trace-before-a-failing-task/46328 "2026-09-19T10:17:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tsgsh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a8b319/32.png) [@tsgsh](https://forum.ansible.com/u/tsgsh)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 10:17am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/new-attribute-to-supress-the-task-trace-before-a-failing-task/46328/1 "2026-09-19T10:17:55Z")
Is there a way for “failed but expected” assertions, e.g. ones that cannot be handled by role validation to fail less noisily than usual failures. For example, with ```auto - name: If a limit has been specified, ensure it includes localhost # for cooldown run_once: true when: ansible_limit is defined assert: that: ('localhost' in ansible_limit | split(',')) fail_msg: If a limit is specified with --limit [-l], it must include localhost quiet: true ``` Which is because my playbook has a final play that has localhost to gather up results from all of the target hosts from the previous plays into a number of files. If I specify `-l host1,host2` rather than `-l host1,host2,localhost` (an easy mistake to make), I get ```auto TASK [role_name : If a limit has been specified, ensure it includes localhost] ************************************************************************************************************************************* Saturday 19 September 2026 11:07:43 +0100 (0:00:00.077) 0:00:00.092 **** [ERROR]: Task failed: Action failed: If a limit is specified with --limit [-l], it must include localhost Origin: :: 1 --- 2 - name: If a limit has been specified, ensure it includes localhost # for cooldown ^ column 3 fatal: [host1]: FAILED! => assertion: ('localhost' in ansible_limit | split(',')) changed: false evaluated_to: false msg: If a limit is specified with --limit [-l], it must include localhost ``` It would be good if there could be attribute on the task, similar to `no_log`, perhaps `fail_quiet`, that would give: ```auto TASK [role_name : If a limit has been specified, ensure it includes localhost] ************************************************************************************************************************************* Saturday 19 September 2026 11:07:43 +0100 (0:00:00.077) 0:00:00.092 **** [ERROR]: Task failed: Action failed: If a limit is specified with --limit [-l], it must include localhost Origin: :: fatal: [host1]: FAILED! => assertion: ('localhost' in ansible_limit | split(',')) changed: false evaluated_to: false msg: If a limit is specified with --limit [-l], it must include localhost ``` or even ```auto TASK [role_name : If a limit has been specified, ensure it includes localhost] ************************************************************************************************************************************* Saturday 19 September 2026 11:07:43 +0100 (0:00:00.077) 0:00:00.092 **** [ERROR]: Task failed: Action failed: If a limit is specified with --limit [-l], it must include localhost Origin: :: ``` Although it would be most appropriate to `assert` I assume this would be much easier to implement as an attribute on any task (like `no_log`) rather than one on `assert` (like `quiet`) Of course, another way of doing this would be good. ---
**Author:** ![vbotka](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/vbotka/32/359_2.png) [@vbotka](https://forum.ansible.com/u/vbotka)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2026, 3:34am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/new-attribute-to-supress-the-task-trace-before-a-failing-task/46328/2 "2026-09-20T03:34:36Z")
> [@tsgsh](#): > > my playbook has a final play that has localhost to gather up results from all of the target hosts from the previous plays into a number of files. > If I specify `-l host1,host2` rather than `-l host1,host2,localhost` FWIW, `--limit` selects `hosts` in a playbook. It does not select available inventory. For example, the complete inventory ```auto > cat hosts/localhost localhost ansible_connection=local > cat hosts/www [www] www_01 www_02 www_03 ``` is available ```auto > ansible-inventory -i hosts --graph @all: |--@ungrouped: | |--localhost |--@www: | |--www_01 | |--www_02 | |--www_03 ``` As a result, `localhost` is available to delegate to ```yaml - hosts: all gather_facts: false tasks: - set_fact: log: "Running on {{ inventory_hostname }} ..." - name: Gather results from target hosts delegate_to: localhost run_once: true block: - debug: msg: | {% for h in ansible_limit | split(',') %} {{ h }}: {{ hostvars[h]['log'] | d('UNDEF') }} {% endfor %} ``` For example, ```yaml > ansible-playbook -i hosts -l www_01,www_02 pb.yml PLAY [all] ********************************************************************************** TASK [set_fact] ***************************************************************************** ok: [www_01] ok: [www_02] TASK [debug] ******************************************************************************** ok: [www_01 -> localhost] => msg: |- www_01: Running on www_01 ... www_02: Running on www_02 ... PLAY RECAP ********************************************************************************** www_01 : ok=2 changed=0 unreachable=0 failed=0 skipped=0 rescued=0 ignored=0 www_02 : ok=1 changed=0 unreachable=0 failed=0 skipped=0 rescued=0 ignored=0 ``` ---
**Author:** ![tsgsh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a8b319/32.png) [@tsgsh](https://forum.ansible.com/u/tsgsh)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2026, 8:25am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/new-attribute-to-supress-the-task-trace-before-a-failing-task/46328/3 "2026-09-20T08:25:34Z")
Ah, it never occurred to me that I could make localhost explicit in the inventory. I’ve always used it implicitly. That solves the problem for this case, Thanks. I still have other cases where a quieter assert might be useful.