# When condition expecting string instead of bool **URL:** \ **Category:** Get Help\ **Tags:** playbook, ansible-lint\ **Created:** [October 16, 2025, 8:18pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/when-condition-expecting-string-instead-of-bool/44698 "2025-10-16T20:18:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carnaiz\_fastly](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/carnaiz_fastly/32/8404_2.png) [@carnaiz\_fastly](https://forum.ansible.com/u/carnaiz_fastly)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2025, 8:18pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/when-condition-expecting-string-instead-of-bool/44698/1 "2025-10-16T20:18:03Z")
**Playbook when condition seems to be expecting a string, where it should take a boolean** We’re updating our ansible playbooks from 2.10 to 2.19 (ansible 12.0.0). I’ve handled issues brought up by ansible-lint (v25.9.2). It looks like using `lookup()` against `ansible.builtin.env` is making the parser expect the value to be a string when I try to use it for a when condition. Playbook below reproduces the issue: ```auto --- - name: Main playbook to configure the network hosts: all gather_facts: false vars: IM_A_BOOL: "{{ lookup('ansible.builtin.env', 'ENV_IM_A_BOOL') | bool }}" pre_tasks: - name: Pre-task block when: IM_A_BOOL # Task failed: Error rendering template: sequence item 0: expected str instance, bool found block: - name: debug statement debug: msg: "I should print" ``` Executing the ansible-playbook with this results in the following: ```auto # debug statement ********************************************************************************************************* * switch - FAILED!!! ------------------------------------------------------ Task failed: Error rendering template: sequence item 0: expected str instance, bool found (traceback unavailable) ``` If I change the variable definition to a literal `IM_A_BOOL: True`, the when condition works. Is this expected? If so, how should the playbook be updated? Thank you ---
**Author:** ![utoddl](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/utoddl/32/249_2.png) [@utoddl](https://forum.ansible.com/u/utoddl)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2025, 8:57pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/when-condition-expecting-string-instead-of-bool/44698/2 "2025-10-16T20:57:37Z")
What value(s) have you used for your `ENV_IM_A_BOOL` environment variable? I’ve tried several with an exact copy-n-paste of your playbook in a new venv with a fresh ansible 12.0.0 installed, and I’m not getting what you’re getting. ```txt (venv-ansible-2.19) utoddl@tango:~/ansible$ ENV_IM_A_BOOL=False ansible-playbook test-bool.yml -i localhost, -vv ansible-playbook [core 2.19.3] config file = /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg configured module search path = ['/home/utoddl/.ansible/plugins/modules', '/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules'] ansible python module location = /opt/venv-ansible-2.19/lib64/python3.13/site-packages/ansible ansible collection location = /home/utoddl/.ansible/collections:/usr/share/ansible/collections executable location = /opt/venv-ansible-2.19/bin/ansible-playbook python version = 3.13.7 (main, Aug 14 2025, 00:00:00) [GCC 15.2.1 20250808 (Red Hat 15.2.1-1)] (/opt/venv-ansible-2.19/bin/python3) jinja version = 3.1.6 pyyaml version = 6.0.3 (with libyaml v0.2.5) Using /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg as config file Skipping callback 'minimal', as we already have a stdout callback. Skipping callback 'oneline', as we already have a stdout callback. PLAYBOOK: test-bool.yml ******************************************************************************************** 1 plays in test-bool.yml PLAY [Main playbook to configure the network] ********************************************************************** TASK [debug statement] ********************************************************************************************* task path: /home/utoddl/ansible/test-bool.yml:11 skipping: [localhost] => {"false_condition": "IM_A_BOOL"} PLAY RECAP ********************************************************************************************************* localhost : ok=0 changed=0 unreachable=0 failed=0 skipped=1 rescued=0 ignored=0 ``` With `ENV_IM_A_BOOL=False`, I get the above output. With `ENV_IM_A_BOOL=Falser`, I get ```txt TASK [debug statement] ********************************************************************************************* task path: /home/utoddl/ansible/test-bool.yml:11 [WARNING]: Deprecation warnings can be disabled by setting `deprecation_warnings=False` in ansible.cfg. [DEPRECATION WARNING]: The `bool` filter coerced invalid value 'Falser' (str) to False. This feature will be removed from ansible-core version 2.23. skipping: [localhost] => {"false_condition": "IM_A_BOOL"} ``` With `ENV_IM_A_BOOL=True`, I get ```txt TASK [debug statement] ************************** task path: /home/utoddl/ansible/test-bool.yml:11 ok: [localhost] => { "msg": "I should print" } ``` And without an `ENV_IM_A_BOOL` environment variable I get ```txt TASK [debug statement] ********************************************************************************************* task path: /home/utoddl/ansible/test-bool.yml:11 [WARNING]: Deprecation warnings can be disabled by setting `deprecation_warnings=False` in ansible.cfg. [DEPRECATION WARNING]: The `bool` filter coerced invalid value '' (str) to False. This feature will be removed from ansible-core version 2.23. skipping: [localhost] => {"false_condition": "IM_A_BOOL"} ``` Hope this helps. ---
**Author:** ![bcoca](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/bcoca/32/9269_2.png) [@bcoca](https://forum.ansible.com/u/bcoca)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2025, 9:27pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/when-condition-expecting-string-instead-of-bool/44698/3 "2025-10-16T21:27:13Z")
normally i recommend to ‘cast’ at consumption, not on definition, though after 2.19 this is less of an issue, still it creates more compatible plays: ```auto when: IM_A_BOOL | bool ``` but to debug further i would show: ```auto - debug: msg={{ lookup('env', 'ENV_IM_A_BOOL') }} - debug: msg={{ lookup('env', 'ENV_IM_A_BOOL') | debug_type }} ```