Ansible pause Module: Wait, Prompt, and Delay Execution (Complete Guide)
By Luca Berton · Published 2024-01-01 · Category: database-automation
How to use Ansible pause module to wait, prompt for input, and add delays. Interactive confirmations, timed pauses, and user prompts with playbook examples.
Ansible pause Module: Wait, Prompt, and Delay Execution (Complete Guide)
The ansible.builtin.pause module pause playbook execution. This guide covers all common use cases with practical playbook examples.
See also: Ansible pause Module: Wait for Input or Delay Playbook Execution
Timed Pause
- name: Wait 30 seconds for service to stabilize
ansible.builtin.pause:
seconds: 30
- name: Wait 2 minutes
ansible.builtin.pause:
minutes: 2Prompt for Confirmation
- name: Confirm before proceeding
ansible.builtin.pause:
prompt: "About to deploy to PRODUCTION. Press Enter to continue or Ctrl+C to abort"
- name: Ask for version
ansible.builtin.pause:
prompt: "Enter the version to deploy"
register: version_input
- name: Deploy version
ansible.builtin.debug:
msg: "Deploying {{ version_input.user_input }}"See also: Ansible Custom Modules: Write Your Own Module in Python (Complete Guide)
Pause Until Enter
- name: Wait for manual step
ansible.builtin.pause:
prompt: "Complete the manual database backup, then press Enter to continue"FAQ
How do I add a delay in Ansible?
Use ansible.builtin.pause: seconds=30 for a timed delay. For user interaction, use prompt to wait for Enter or capture input with register.
How do I prompt for user input in Ansible?
Use ansible.builtin.pause: prompt="Your question" with register: result. Access the input via result.user_input. For pre-play prompts, use vars_prompt instead.
See also: Ansible debug Module: Print Variables & Messages (Complete Guide)
Conclusion
The ansible.builtin.pause module is a versatile tool for pause playbook execution. Use the examples above as starting points and adapt them to your infrastructure needs.
Related Articles
- Ansible Playbook Guide
- Ansible wait_for Module
- Ansible pause Module: Wait for Input or Delay Playbook Execution
Module Parameters Reference
| Parameter | Required | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
seconds | No | — | Number of seconds to pause |
minutes | No | — | Number of minutes to pause |
prompt | No | — | Message to display before pausing |
echo | No | true | Show user input when prompting |
Pause for User Confirmation
- name: Confirm before proceeding
ansible.builtin.pause:
prompt: "This will deploy to PRODUCTION. Type 'yes' to continue"
register: confirm
when: env == "production"
- name: Abort if not confirmed
ansible.builtin.fail:
msg: "Deployment cancelled by user"
when: confirm.user_input | default('') != 'yes'Pause with Hidden Input (Passwords)
- name: Prompt for password
ansible.builtin.pause:
prompt: "Enter the database password"
echo: false
register: db_password
- name: Use the password
ansible.builtin.debug:
msg: "Password captured ({{ db_password.user_input | length }} chars)"Timed Delay Between Tasks
- name: Wait for service to stabilize
ansible.builtin.pause:
seconds: 30
prompt: "Waiting 30 seconds for service to stabilize..."
- name: Wait 2 minutes for DNS propagation
ansible.builtin.pause:
minutes: 2Complete Playbook: Rolling Deployment with Pauses
---
- name: Rolling deployment with safety pauses
hosts: webservers
serial: 1
become: true
tasks:
- name: Pull latest application code
ansible.builtin.git:
repo: https://github.com/example/app.git
dest: /opt/app
version: main
- name: Restart application service
ansible.builtin.service:
name: app
state: restarted
- name: Wait for health check
ansible.builtin.uri:
url: "http://{{ inventory_hostname }}:8080/health"
status_code: 200
register: health
retries: 10
delay: 5
until: health.status == 200
- name: Pause between hosts for monitoring
ansible.builtin.pause:
seconds: 60
prompt: "Host {{ inventory_hostname }} deployed. Waiting 60s before next host..."Pause vs wait_for
| Feature | pause | wait_for |
|---|---|---|
| User interaction | Yes (prompt) | No |
| Condition-based | No | Yes (port, file, regex) |
| Fixed delay | Yes | Yes (timeout) |
| Use case | Human approval, timed delays | Wait for ports, files, services |
When should I use pause vs wait_for?
Use ansible.builtin.pause for human interaction (confirmations, password input) or simple timed delays. Use ansible.builtin.wait_for when you need to wait for a condition like a port opening or a file appearing.
Does pause work in automated pipelines?
Timed pauses (seconds/minutes) work fine in CI/CD. Prompt-based pauses will hang in non-interactive environments — use when conditions to skip them in automated runs.
Category: database-automation