random_choice – return random element from list

Synopsis

• The ‘random_choice’ feature can be used to pick something at random. While it’s not a load balancer (there are modules for those), it can somewhat be used as a poor man’s load balancer in a MacGyver like situation.

• At a more basic level, they can be used to add chaos and excitement to otherwise predictable automation environments.

Examples

- name: Magic 8 ball for MUDs
  debug:
    msg: "{{ item }}"
  with_random_choice:
     - "go through the door"
     - "drink from the goblet"
     - "press the red button"
     - "do nothing"

Return Values

Common return values are documented here, the following are the fields unique to this lookup:

Key	Returned	Description
_raw -		random item

Status

• This lookup is not guaranteed to have a backwards compatible interface. [preview]

• This lookup is maintained by the Ansible Community. [community]

Authors

• Michael DeHaan <michael.dehaan@gmail.com>

Hint

If you notice any issues in this documentation, you can edit this document to improve it.

Hint

Configuration entries for each entry type have a low to high priority order. For example, a variable that is lower in the list will override a variable that is higher up.