Chapter 11: Ansible Introduction

11.9b Check mode and diff

By Ravindra Bagale · Last updated: 1 October 2026

ansible-playbook -i inventory/hosts.ini playbooks/web_welcome.yml --check
ansible-playbook -i inventory/hosts.ini playbooks/web_welcome.yml --check --diff

--check is a dry run (not every module supports perfect check mode). --diff shows file content changes for modules that support it. Use before touching a shared lab VM.