# What is the difference between inventory group\_vars and playbook group\_vars?

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-inventory-group-vars-and-playbook-group-vars/23490>\
**Category:** Ansible Project\
**Created:** [January 18, 2017, 1:13pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-inventory-group-vars-and-playbook-group-vars/23490 "2017-01-18T13:13:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Cev\_Ing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Cev\_Ing](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Cev_Ing)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 1:13pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-inventory-group-vars-and-playbook-group-vars/23490/1 "2017-01-18T13:13:54Z")

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The following document

[http://docs.ansible.com/ansible/playbooks\_variables.html#variable-precedence-where-should-i-put-a-variable](http://docs.ansible.com/ansible/playbooks_variables.html#variable-precedence-where-should-i-put-a-variable)

states that inventory group\_vars have lower precedence than playbook group\_vars.

But I have just one group\_vars directory in my installation. When I put anything into the group\_vars directory, what is it? Is it an inventory group\_var or an playbook group\_var?

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**Author:** ![Brian\_Coca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@Brian\_Coca](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Brian_Coca)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2017, 2:36pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-inventory-group-vars-and-playbook-group-vars/23490/2 "2017-01-18T14:36:23Z")

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Depends on what they are adjacent to, inventory or play. If you only use one the distinction is mostly irrelevant.​