# What is the difference with action: and without in a task?

**URL:** <https://forum.ansible.com/t/what-is-the-difference-with-action-and-without-in-a-task/12808>\
**Category:** Ansible Project\
**Tags:** ansible-project\
**Created:** [May 15, 2013, 2:23pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/what-is-the-difference-with-action-and-without-in-a-task/12808 "2013-05-15T14:23:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Serge\_van\_Ginderacht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@Serge\_van\_Ginderacht](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Serge_van_Ginderacht)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2013, 2:23pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/what-is-the-difference-with-action-and-without-in-a-task/12808/1 "2013-05-15T14:23:00Z")

</div>

​None. Leaving out "action:" is a shortcut notation.

(Which you cannot do e.g. when doing a local\_action:​)

Serge