# The 'skipped\_reason' value is deprecated **URL:** \ **Category:** Get Help\ **Created:** [May 28, 2026, 1:10pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/the-skipped-reason-value-is-deprecated/45858 "2026-05-28T13:10:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chris](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/chris/32/293_2.png) [@chris](https://forum.ansible.com/u/chris)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2026, 1:10pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/the-skipped-reason-value-is-deprecated/45858/1 "2026-05-28T13:10:08Z")
Does anyone have any suggestions regarding what is happening here, I have this _DEPRECATION WARNING_: ```auto TASK [php : Check php_ variables using the combined argument spec] ************************************************************************************************************************************************ [WARNING]: Deprecation warnings can be disabled by setting `deprecation_warnings=False` in ansible.cfg. [DEPRECATION WARNING]: The 'skipped_reason' value is deprecated. This feature will be removed from ansible-core version 2.24. Origin: /home/example/php/tasks/verify.yml:79:29 77 ansible.builtin.validate_argument_spec: 78 argument_spec: "{{ php_combined_argument_spec['argument_specs']['main']['options'] }}" 79 provided_arguments: "{{ phphostvars }}" ^ column 29 Use 'skip_reason' instead. [DEPRECATION WARNING]: While processing '<>': The 'skipped_reason' value is deprecated. This feature will be removed from ansible-core version 2.24. Origin: <> Use 'skip_reason' instead. ok: [example.org.uk] ``` The [task in question](https://git.coop/webarch/php/-/blob/1480b46258c676c7708168dcb6e2a9f638e26816/tasks/verify.yml#L76) is: ```yaml - name: Check php_ variables using the combined argument spec ansible.builtin.validate_argument_spec: argument_spec: "{{ php_combined_argument_spec['argument_specs']['main']['options'] }}" provided_arguments: "{{ phphostvars }}" ``` And `phphostvars` [is defined](https://git.coop/webarch/php/-/blob/1480b46258c676c7708168dcb6e2a9f638e26816/vars/main.yml#L44) thus: ```yaml phpvarnames: "{{ q('varnames', '^php_') | sort }}" phphostvars: "{{ dict(phpvarnames | list | zip(q('vars', *phpvarnames))) }}" ``` This didn’t generate a warning in the past, I’m currently using this version of Ansible: ```sh ansible --version | head -n1 ansible [core 2.21.0] ``` ---
**Author:** ![sivel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/sivel/32/1198_2.png) [@sivel](https://forum.ansible.com/u/sivel)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2026, 2:31pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/the-skipped-reason-value-is-deprecated/45858/2 "2026-05-28T14:31:55Z")
Are you using any callback plugins? My assumption is that you might be using a callback plugin that is consuming the deprecated `skipped_reason` on the task result. A quick search indicates `selective` from `community.general` may be doing so. ---
**Author:** ![chris](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/chris/32/293_2.png) [@chris](https://forum.ansible.com/u/chris)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2026, 2:58pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/the-skipped-reason-value-is-deprecated/45858/3 "2026-05-28T14:58:21Z")
I have the following in `ansible.cfg` and have now commented `callback_result_format = yaml` but I still have the same warning: ```ini # Ansible configuration [defaults] allow_world_readable_tmpfiles = true any_errors_fatal = true # callback_result_format = yaml # callbacks_enabled = timer, profile_tasks, profile_roles deprecation_warnings = true display_skipped_hosts = false duplicate_dict_key = error # error_on_undefined_vars = 1 force_color = 0 inject_facts_as_vars = 0 inventory = hosts.yml nocows = true pipelining = true retry_files_enabled = false roles_path = galaxy/roles timeout = 60 vault_password_file = .vault.passwd [colors] debug = blue # vim: syntax=dosini ``` I also have this: ```auto TASK [systemd : Verify the service when it is in the list of existing unit files after appending .service for php7.4-fpm] ***************************************************************************************** ok: [example.org.uk] [WARNING]: Callback dispatch 'v2_runner_on_skipped' failed for plugin 'default': CallbackModule.v2_runner_on_skipped() takes 2 positional arguments but 4 were given TASK [systemd : Systemd unit enabled for php7.4-fpm] ************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ok: [example.org.uk] ``` Which is triggered by one of these two tasks: ```yaml - name: "Verify the service when it is in the list of existing unit files after appending .service for {{ systemd_unit.name }}" ansible.builtin.command: cmd: "systemd-analyze verify {{ systemd_unit.name }}.service --man=false" check_mode: false vars: systemd_unit_verify: "{{ systemd_unit.name }}.service" changed_when: false when: - systemd_unit.name is not regex('[.]service$') - systemd_unit_verify in systemd_unit_files_enabled - name: "Verify the service when it is in the list of existing unit files for {{ systemd_unit.name }}" ansible.builtin.command: cmd: "systemd-analyze verify {{ systemd_unit.name }}" check_mode: false changed_when: false when: systemd_unit.name in systemd_unit_files_enabled ``` Any other suggestions for debugging this? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![sivel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/sivel/32/1198_2.png) [@sivel](https://forum.ansible.com/u/sivel)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2026, 3:50pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/the-skipped-reason-value-is-deprecated/45858/4 "2026-05-28T15:50:03Z")
Finding the deprecation is a little harder, but I suppose we can start with the callback failure you provide above. If you run with these env vars, you will get a full traceback: ```auto ANSIBLE_DISPLAY_TRACEBACK=error _ANSIBLE_CALLBACK_DISPATCH_ERROR_BEHAVIOR=error ``` Note that the 2nd env var, prefixed with `_` isn’t a “production” config, it exists in it’s current form for this type of debugging, and can be removed without warning. ---
**Author:** ![chris](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/chris/32/293_2.png) [@chris](https://forum.ansible.com/u/chris)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2026, 4:03pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/the-skipped-reason-value-is-deprecated/45858/5 "2026-05-28T16:03:37Z")
Thanks, does this result help? ```auto [ERROR]: Callback dispatch 'v2_runner_on_skipped' failed for plugin 'default': CallbackModule.v2_runner_on_skipped() takes 2 positional arguments but 4 were given Traceback (most recent call last): File "/home/example/.local/pipx/venvs/ansible/lib/python3.13/site-packages/ansible/executor/task_queue_manager.py", line 516, in send_callback method(*new_args, **kwargs) ~~~~~~ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ TypeError: CallbackModule.v2_runner_on_skipped() takes 2 positional arguments but 4 were given The above exception was the direct cause of the following exception: Traceback (most recent call last): File "/home/example/.local/pipx/venvs/ansible/lib/python3.13/site-packages/ansible/cli/ __init__.py", line 661, in cli_executor exit_code = cli.run() File "/home/example/.local/pipx/venvs/ansible/lib/python3.13/site-packages/ansible/cli/playbook.py", line 152, in run results = pbex.run() File "/home/example/.local/pipx/venvs/ansible/lib/python3.13/site-packages/ansible/executor/playbook_executor.py", line 179, in run result = self._tqm.run(play=play) File "/home/example/.local/pipx/venvs/ansible/lib/python3.13/site-packages/ansible/executor/task_queue_manager.py", line 403, in run play_return = strategy.run(iterator, play_context) File "/home/example/.local/pipx/venvs/ansible/lib/python3.13/site-packages/ansible/plugins/strategy/linear.py", line 170, in run results.extend(self._execute_meta(task, play_context, iterator, host)) ¦ ¦ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ File "/home/example/.local/pipx/venvs/ansible/lib/python3.13/site-packages/ansible/plugins/strategy/ __init__.py", line 1021, in _execute_meta self._tqm.send_callback('v2_runner_on_skipped', target_host, task, utr) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ File "/home/example/.local/pipx/venvs/ansible/lib/python3.13/site-packages/ansible/utils/lock.py", line 39, in inner return func(*args, **kwargs) File "/home/example/.local/pipx/venvs/ansible/lib/python3.13/site-packages/ansible/executor/task_queue_manager.py", line 522, in send_callback raise AnsibleCallbackError(f"Callback dispatch {method_name!r} failed for plugin {callback_plugin._load_name!r}.") from ex ansible.errors.AnsibleCallbackError: Callback dispatch 'v2_runner_on_skipped' failed for plugin 'default': CallbackModule.v2_runner_on_skipped() takes 2 positional arguments but 4 were given ``` ---
**Author:** ![sivel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/sivel/32/1198_2.png) [@sivel](https://forum.ansible.com/u/sivel)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2026, 4:51pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/the-skipped-reason-value-is-deprecated/45858/6 "2026-05-28T16:51:03Z")
That specific issue has been resolved in [Fix broken callback dispatch on skipped meta tasks by nitzmahone · Pull Request #86977 · ansible/ansible · GitHub](https://github.com/ansible/ansible/pull/86977) and will be in the 2.21.1 release. > [@chris](#): > > `ansible.errors.AnsibleCallbackError: Callback dispatch 'v2_runner_on_skipped' failed for plugin 'default': CallbackModule.v2_runner_on_skipped() takes 2 positional arguments but 4 were given` That specific issue has been resolved in [Fix broken callback dispatch on skipped meta tasks by nitzmahone · Pull Request #86977 · ansible/ansible · GitHub](https://github.com/ansible/ansible/pull/86977) and will be in the 2.21.1 release. I haven’t looked more at the `skipped_reason` warning yet. ---
**Author:** ![sivel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/sivel/32/1198_2.png) [@sivel](https://forum.ansible.com/u/sivel)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2026, 5:21pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/the-skipped-reason-value-is-deprecated/45858/7 "2026-05-28T17:21:35Z")
> [@sivel](#): > > I haven’t looked more at the `skipped_reason` warning yet Ok, so on to this. Here is what I believe is happening: 1. You have a task that is registering a var that starts with `php_`, quite possibly the `php_conf_symlinks_present` variable. That task is looping over an empty list. For backwards compat in 2.21, if that happens (looping an empty list), we set a `skipped_reason` on the task result. `skipped_reason` is now deprecated, so we mark it as such. 2. Your `phpvarnames` is picking up every var name that starts with `php_`, including all of the registered task vars. (I’m not sure this was your intention) 3. Serializing the data set that includes the `skipped_reason` results in the deprecation warning. The easiest way to avoid this might be to do something like: ```yaml phphostvars: "{{ dict(phpvarnames | list | zip(q('vars', *phpvarnames) | reject('skipped'))) }}" ``` But as above, I question whether it was your intention that `phpvarnames` should also pick up all registered variables. And that is not as easily solved, at least not within the templating you have. It would likely require changing all of your registered var names to not use the `php_` prefix to avoid this issue, while not changing the “public” interface of the role.