{"id":51336,"date":"2025-08-06T08:29:48","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T08:29:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/?p=51336"},"modified":"2025-08-06T08:29:48","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T08:29:48","slug":"ansible-complete-guide-tutorial-of-ansible-vault","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/ansible-complete-guide-tutorial-of-ansible-vault\/","title":{"rendered":"Ansible: Complete Guide & Tutorial of Ansible Vault"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Here is a very detailed and comprehensive tutorial<\/strong> on using Ansible Vault<\/strong> with practical, real-world examples for each subcommand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ansible Vault Tutorial<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Ansible Vault is a powerful feature that allows you to encrypt sensitive data<\/strong>\u2014such as passwords, keys, and secrets\u2014within your Ansible projects. It\u2019s especially important for keeping secrets out of version control and enabling safe collaboration on automation projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why Use Ansible Vault?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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  • Security:<\/strong> Keeps secrets safe in your playbooks, variable files, and inventory.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Collaboration:<\/strong> Share code without exposing sensitive information.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Flexibility:<\/strong> Encrypt only the files or strings you need.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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    Vault Passwords<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    By default, Vault asks you for a password interactively, but you can also use --vault-password-file<\/code> for automation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Main Ansible Vault Subcommands and Usage Examples<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Below, each subcommand is described with an example<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    1. Create<\/strong> \u2013 Create a new encrypted file<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Command:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

    ansible-vault<\/span> create<\/span> secrets<\/span>.yml<\/span>\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> CSS<\/span> (<\/span>css<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
    What it does:<\/strong>
    Creates a new file, opens it in your $EDITOR<\/code> (e.g., vim\/nano), and saves it encrypted<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    Example Workflow:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n
    ansible-vault<\/span> create<\/span> secrets<\/span>.yml<\/span>\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> CSS<\/span> (<\/span>css<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
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    • You will be prompted for a new vault password.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • The editor opens. Enter your secret variables: db_user: admin db_password: SuperSecret123<\/code><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Save and exit. Now secrets.yml<\/code> is fully encrypted.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
      \n\n\n\n
      2. Encrypt<\/strong> \u2013 Encrypt an existing file<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      Command:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n
      ansible-vault encrypt group_vars\/all.yml\n<\/code><\/span><\/pre>\n\n\n
      What it does:<\/strong>
      Encrypts an existing plaintext file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      Example Workflow:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n
      ansible-vault encrypt group_vars\/all.yml\n<\/code><\/span><\/pre>\n\n\n