Ansible supports two methods for bringing content into a playbook. You can include content, or you can import content.

Importing content is a static operation. Ansible preprocesses imported content when the playbook is initially parsed, before the run starts.

Including content is a dynamic operation. Ansible processes included content while the playbook is running, as content is reached.

The ansible.builtin.import_playbook module enables you to import external files containing lists of plays into a playbook. In other words, you can have a main playbook that imports one or more additional playbooks. If you import multiple playbooks, then they are imported and run in order.

The following is a simple example of a main playbook that imports two additional playbooks:

---
- name: Enable NETCONF service
  ansible.builtin.import_playbook: juniper_netconf.yml

- name: Configure SNMP settings
  ansible.builtin.import_playbook: juniper_snmp.yml

Notice that you must specify the imported playbook in the same line as the module.

You can also interleave plays in your main playbook with imported playbooks. In the following example, the Back up the IOS configuration play runs first, followed by the plays imported from the ios_vlans.yml playbook.

---
- name: Back up the IOS configuration
  hosts: ios
  gather_facts: false
  tasks:
    - name: Back up the current configuration
      cisco.ios.ios_config:
        backup: true
        backup_options:
          filename: "{{ inventory_hostname }}.txt"

- name: Import IOS VLANs playbook
  ansible.builtin.import_playbook: ios_vlans.yml

You can import a task file into a play inside a playbook by using the ansible.builtin.import_tasks module. When you import a task file, the tasks in that file are directly inserted when the playbook is parsed.

In the following example, instead of writing a list of tasks in the playbook, the task named Import Juniper Junos VLANs tasks imports the tasks from the junos_vlan.yml task file:

---
- name: Juniper Junos VLANs configuration
  hosts: junos
  gather_facts: false
  tasks:
  - name: Import Juniper Junos VLANs tasks
    ansible.builtin.import_tasks:
      file: junos_vlan.yml

To import a task file, you can use the file parameter of the ansible.builtin.import_tasks module to indicate the name of the task file, or you can give the name of the task file in the same line as the module:

---
- name: Juniper Junos VLANs configuration
  hosts: junos
  gather_facts: false
  tasks:
  - name: Import Juniper Junos VLANs tasks
    ansible.builtin.import_tasks: junos_vlan.yml

Because the ansible.builtin.import_tasks module statically imports the tasks when the playbook is parsed, you must consider the following with respect to loops and conditionals:

You can also dynamically include a task file into a play inside a playbook by using the ansible.builtin.include_tasks module. To include a task file, you can use the file parameter to indicate the name of the file with the task list, or you can give the name of this file in the same line as the module.

The following example uses the ansible.builtin.include_tasks module to include a task file named ios_ntp.yml in the playbook:

---
- name: Cisco IOS NTP configuration
  hosts: ios
  gather_facts: false
  tasks:
  - name: Include Cisco IOS NTP tasks
    ansible.builtin.include_tasks: ios_ntp.yml

Because the ansible.builtin.include_tasks module does not process content in the playbook until the play is running and that part of the play is reached, you must consider the following with respect to loops and conditionals:

You can create a dedicated directory for task files, and save all task files in that directory. Your playbook can then include or import task files from that directory.

For example, suppose that you have the following task file named ios_verification.yml that verifies the NTP configuration in the Cisco IOS managed nodes, and then displays the existing NTP configuration:

---
- name: Verifying NTP configuration
  cisco.ios.ios_command:
    commands:
      - show run | include ntp
  register: ios_value

- name: Display NTP configuration
  ansible.builtin.debug:
    var: ios_value['stdout_lines']

If the previous task file was saved in a tasks directory, then you might incorporate the tasks as follows:

...output omitted...

    - name: Import task file
      ansible.builtin.import_tasks: tasks/ios_verification.yml

...output omitted...

This enables you to construct a complex playbook and makes it easy to manage its structure and components.

To maximize the possibility of reuse, plays and tasks should be as generic as possible. Use variables to parameterize play and task elements to expand the application of plays and tasks.

For example, if you parameterize the configuration to be verified from the previous example, then the ios_verification.yml task file can also be used for the verification of other configurations, rather than being useful only for verifying the NTP configuration:

- name: Verifying {{ ios_service }} configuration
  cisco.ios.ios_command:
    commands: "{{ ios_commands }}"
  register: ios_value

- name: Display {{ ios_service }} configuration
  ansible.builtin.debug:
    var: ios_value['stdout_lines']

When incorporating the task file in your playbook, you can define the variables to use for the task execution as follows:

...output omitted...

    - name: Import task file and set variables
      ansible.builtin.import_tasks: tasks/ios_verification.yml
      vars:
        ios_service: NTP
        ios_commands:
          - show run | include ntp

...output omitted...

The following example shows how to use the same task file to verify DNS on the managed nodes:

...output omitted...

    - name: Import task file and set variables
      ansible.builtin.import_tasks: tasks/ios_verification.yml
      vars:
        ios_service: DNS
        ios_commands:
          - show ip name-server
          - show ip dns view | include list

...output omitted...

You can use the same technique to make playbooks more reusable. When incorporating a playbook into another playbook, pass the variables to use for the play execution as follows:

- name: Import play file and set the variable
  ansible.builtin.import_playbook: play.yml
  vars:
    managed_nodes: junos

...output omitted...