Selecting JSON data: JSON queries

To select a single element or a data subset from a complex data structure in JSON format (for example, Ansible facts), use the json_query filter. The json_query filter lets you query a complex JSON structure and iterate over it using a loop structure.

Note

You must manually install the jmespath dependency on the Ansible controller before using this filter. This filter is built upon jmespath, and you can use the same syntax. For examples, see jmespath examples.

Consider this data structure:

{
    "domain_definition": {
        "domain": {
            "cluster": [
                {
                    "name": "cluster1"
                },
                {
                    "name": "cluster2"
                }
            ],
            "server": [
                {
                    "name": "server11",
                    "cluster": "cluster1",
                    "port": "8080"
                },
                {
                    "name": "server12",
                    "cluster": "cluster1",
                    "port": "8090"
                },
                {
                    "name": "server21",
                    "cluster": "cluster2",
                    "port": "9080"
                },
                {
                    "name": "server22",
                    "cluster": "cluster2",
                    "port": "9090"
                }
            ],
            "library": [
                {
                    "name": "lib1",
                    "target": "cluster1"
                },
                {
                    "name": "lib2",
                    "target": "cluster2"
                }
            ]
        }
    }
}

To extract all clusters from this structure, you can use the following query:

- name: Display all cluster names
  ansible.builtin.debug:
    var: item
  loop: "{{ domain_definition | community.general.json_query('domain.cluster[*].name') }}"

To extract all server names:

- name: Display all server names
  ansible.builtin.debug:
    var: item
  loop: "{{ domain_definition | community.general.json_query('domain.server[*].name') }}"

To extract ports from cluster1:

- name: Display all ports from cluster1
  ansible.builtin.debug:
    var: item
  loop: "{{ domain_definition | community.general.json_query(server_name_cluster1_query) }}"
  vars:
    server_name_cluster1_query: "domain.server[?cluster=='cluster1'].port"

Note

You can use a variable to make the query more readable.

To print out the ports from cluster1 in a comma separated string:

- name: Display all ports from cluster1 as a string
  ansible.builtin.debug:
    msg: "{{ domain_definition | community.general.json_query('domain.server[?cluster==`cluster1`].port') | join(', ') }}"

Note

In the example above, quoting literals using backticks avoids escaping quotes and maintains readability.

You can use YAML single quote escaping:

- name: Display all ports from cluster1
  ansible.builtin.debug:
    var: item
  loop: "{{ domain_definition | community.general.json_query('domain.server[?cluster==''cluster1''].port') }}"

Note

Escaping single quotes within single quotes in YAML is done by doubling the single quote.

To get a hash map with all ports and names of a cluster:

- name: Display all server ports and names from cluster1
  ansible.builtin.debug:
    var: item
  loop: "{{ domain_definition | community.general.json_query(server_name_cluster1_query) }}"
  vars:
    server_name_cluster1_query: "domain.server[?cluster=='cluster2'].{name: name, port: port}"

To extract ports from all clusters with name starting with ‘server1’:

- name: Display all ports from cluster1
  ansible.builtin.debug:
    msg: "{{ domain_definition | to_json | from_json | community.general.json_query(server_name_query) }}"
  vars:
    server_name_query: "domain.server[?starts_with(name,'server1')].port"

To extract ports from all clusters with name containing ‘server1’:

- name: Display all ports from cluster1
  ansible.builtin.debug:
    msg: "{{ domain_definition | to_json | from_json | community.general.json_query(server_name_query) }}"
  vars:
    server_name_query: "domain.server[?contains(name,'server1')].port"

Note

while using starts_with and contains, you have to use `` to_json | from_json `` filter for correct parsing of data structure.