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Ansible in a Minute · Ansible Core ·

Use any_errors_fatal to abort the play

Short answer

Set any_errors_fatal so a failure on one host stops the play on every host.

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Request

set any_errors_fatal and run a command that all hosts must succeed

Example

A quick heads-up: Every environment is different. Review and test this example before you run it on systems you care about.

YAML
---
- name: Disable Datacenter
  hosts: all
  gather_facts: false
  any_errors_fatal: true
  tasks:
    - name: Disable Datacenter
      ansible.builtin.command:
        cmd: /path/to/disable_datacenter_command
      register: disable_result
      failed_when: disable_result.rc != 0
      changed_when: disable_result.rc == 0

How it works

By default a failed host is removed and the play continues on the rest. any_errors_fatal finishes the current batch, then stops the play on all hosts. Later tasks and plays do not run.

When to use it

  • Disabling load balancers before maintenance when every host must succeed
  • Stopping a multi-host change after the first failure

Requirements

  • Ansible: >=2.14

Validation

  • Syntax validated
  • Not execution-tested
  • Last verified 2026-09-18

Notes

You can set any_errors_fatal on a play or on a block. A rescue section can recover from a fatal error in that block. Use max_fail_percentage when you want to abort after a share of hosts fail, not after the first error.

Reference

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Use any_errors_fatal to abort the play · Level Up Labs