---
name: "ansible-inventory"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "ansible-core"
version: "2.21.5-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/ansible-inventory"
---

# ansible-inventory(1)

Show Ansible inventory information, by default it uses the inventory script JSON format

## Name

ansible-inventory - Show Ansible inventory information, by default it uses the inventory script JSON format

## SYNOPSIS

- **usage: ansible-inventory \[-h\] \[--version\] \[-v\] \[-i INVENTORY\] \[-l SUBSET\]**

  \[--flush-cache\] \[--vault-id VAULT\_IDS\] \[-J \| --vault-password-file VAULT\_PASSWORD\_FILES\] \[--playbook-dir BASEDIR\] \[-e EXTRA\_VARS\] \[--list\] \[--host HOST\] \[--graph\] \[-y\] \[--toml\] \[--vars\] \[--export\] \[--output OUTPUT\_FILE\] \[group\]

## DESCRIPTION

used to display or dump the configured inventory as Ansible sees it

## COMMON OPTIONS

The name of a group in the inventory, relevant when using --graph

- **--export**

  When doing --list, represent in a way that is optimized for export,not as an accurate representation of how Ansible has processed it

- **--flush-cache**

  clear the fact cache for every host in inventory

- **--graph**

  create inventory graph, if supplying pattern it must be a valid group name. It will ignore limit

- **--host** 'HOST'

  Output specific host info, works as inventory script. It will ignore limit

- **--list**

  Output all hosts info, works as inventory script

- **--output** 'OUTPUT\_FILE'

  When doing --list, send the inventory to a file instead of to the screen

- **--playbook-dir** 'BASEDIR'

  Since this tool does not use playbooks, use this as a substitute playbook directory. This sets the relative path for many features including roles/ group\_vars/ etc.

- **--toml**

  Use TOML format instead of default JSON, ignored for --graph

- **--vars**

  Add vars to graph display, ignored unless used with --graph

- **--vault-id**

  the vault identity to use. This argument may be specified multiple times.

- **--vault-password-file**, **--vault-pass-file**

  vault password file

- **--version**

  show program's version number, config file location, configured module search path, module location, executable location and exit

- **-J**, **--ask-vault-password**, **--ask-vault-pass**

  ask for vault password

- **-e**, **--extra-vars**

  set additional variables as key=value or YAML/JSON, if filename prepend with @. This argument may be specified multiple times.

- **-h**, **--help**

  show this help message and exit

- **-i**, **--inventory**, **--inventory-file**

  specify inventory host path or comma separated host list. This argument may be specified multiple times.

- **-l** 'SUBSET', **--limit** 'SUBSET'

  further limit selected hosts to an additional pattern

- **-v**, **--verbose**

  Causes Ansible to print more debug messages. Adding multiple -v will increase the verbosity, the builtin plugins currently evaluate up to -vvvvvv. A reasonable level to start is -vvv, connection debugging might require -vvvv. This argument may be specified multiple times.

- **-y**, **--yaml**

  Use YAML format instead of default JSON, ignored for --graph

## ARGUMENTS

group

The name of a group in the inventory, relevant when using --graph

## INVENTORY

Ansible stores the hosts it can potentially operate on in an inventory. This can be an YAML file, ini-like file, a script, directory, list, etc. For additional options, see the documentation on \<https://docs.ansible.com/\>.

## ENVIRONMENT

The following environment variables may be specified.

ANSIBLE\_INVENTORY  -- Override the default ansible inventory sources

ANSIBLE\_CONFIG -- Specify override location for the ansible config file

Many more are available for most options in ansible.cfg

For a full list check \<https://docs.ansible.com/\>. or use the *ansible-config* command.

## FILES

/etc/ansible/hosts -- Default inventory file

/etc/ansible/ansible.cfg -- Config file, used if present

\~/.ansible.cfg -- User config file, overrides the default config if present

./ansible.cfg -- Local config file (in current working directory) assumed to be 'project specific' and overrides the rest if present.

As mentioned above, the ANSIBLE\_CONFIG environment variable will override all others.

## AUTHOR

Ansible was originally written by Michael DeHaan.

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2018 Red Hat, Inc \| Ansible. Ansible is released under the terms of the GPLv3 license.

## SEE ALSO

**ansible** (1), **ansible-config** (1), **ansible-console** (1), **ansible-doc** (1), **ansible-galaxy** (1), **ansible-playbook** (1), **ansible-pull** (1), **ansible-vault** (1)

Extensive documentation is available in the documentation site: \<\<https://docs.ansible.com\>\>. IRC and mailing list info can be found in file CONTRIBUTING.md, available in: \<\<https://github.com/ansible/ansible\>\>