ansible.builtin.random_choice lookup – return random element from list
Note
This lookup plugin is part of ansible-core
and included in all Ansible
installations. In most cases, you can use the short
plugin name
random_choice
.
However, we recommend you use the Fully Qualified Collection Name (FQCN) ansible.builtin.random_choice
for easy linking to the
plugin documentation and to avoid conflicting with other collections that may have
the same lookup plugin name.
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
ansible.builtin.debug:
msg: "{{ item }}"
with_random_choice:
- "go through the door"
- "drink from the goblet"
- "press the red button"
- "do nothing"
Return Value
Key |
Description |
---|---|
random item Returned: success |