# variable expansion in dict

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/variable-expansion-in-dict/34582>\
**Category:** Ansible Project\
**Created:** [February 6, 2021, 7:28pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/variable-expansion-in-dict/34582 "2021-02-06T19:28:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jff\_Frm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e47774/32.png) [@Jff\_Frm](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Jff_Frm)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2021, 7:28pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/variable-expansion-in-dict/34582/1 "2021-02-06T19:28:48Z")

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Hi,

On my dictionary I need to use a variable to assign the same value on multiple keys so that I only need to update it in one place, but unfortunately results in variable is undefined. I’ve already read that this is not possible (forgot the source) is there a way to tell Ansible to do variable expansion inside dict?

Regards

Jeff

- hosts: localhost  
vars:  
containers:  
container1:  
version: “1.1.1”  
image: “myimage1:{{version}}”  
container2:  
version: “2.2.2”  
image: “myimage2:{{version}}”  
tasks:
- debug:  
msg: “{{containers}}”

# result is ‘version’ is undefined

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dick\_Visser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@Dick\_Visser](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Dick_Visser)\
**Post date:** [February 6, 2021, 11:51pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/variable-expansion-in-dict/34582/2 "2021-02-06T23:51:30Z")

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This could help you:

[https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/user\_guide/playbooks\_advanced\_syntax.html#id2](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/user_guide/playbooks_advanced_syntax.html#id2)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jff\_Frm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e47774/32.png) [@Jff\_Frm](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Jff_Frm)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2021, 3:38pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/variable-expansion-in-dict/34582/3 "2021-02-08T15:38:24Z")

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Thanks the anchors did help