How to parse multiple email addresses from json data in Ansible via map(regex_search) filter

Question

I've been trying to parse email addresses from the below json data:

"msg": [
    {
        "fqdn": "www.westero.local",
        "function": "",
        "maintenance_notes": ""
    },        
{
        "fqdn": "mail.fem.local",
        "function": "database",
        "maintenance_notes": "notify [email protected] and [email protected]"
    },
    {
        "fqdn": "net.runner.local",
        "function": "web",
        "maintenance_notes": "wait for [email protected] or [email protected]"
    }
]

With the below Ansible task, I am only able to parse the first email address:

  # extract emails from maintenance_notes
- name: Parse email addresses
  set_fact:
    email_addys: "{{ json_data | json_query('[*].maintenance_notes') | map('regex_search', '([a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+.[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+)') | unique | select | list }}"

Is there a better way to extract the addresses so I would end up with the following data?

[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

um, er, WHY are you parsing for an email address when the JSON has fqdn right there for you to grab the value for each such property? — RLDailey
– RLDailey, Commented Oct 1 at 6:20
@RLDailey what do you mean and how would one do what you're saying? — pilipeet
– pilipeet, Commented Oct 1 at 6:36
@RLDailey, it is because there are two different point of views and logic. The maintenance notes are for whom is to notify, users of the systems, in case of a maintenance window. That's a kind business logic with a human point of view. It is probably different from the FQDN, administrator and operators of the system, which have a other point of view and knowledge of the infrastructure. Therefore the disadvantageous JSON structure and content. The questioner has most probably no control over that and can't change it. — U880D
– U880D, Commented Oct 1 at 6:43
The sample data I needed to parse is part of a largerr dataset and I just needed to extract the email address information from "maintenance_notes". Thanks for responding @U880D and I apologize and thank you for fixing the formatting. I don't post here often but I'll be more vigilant with formatting my posts next time. — pilipeet
– pilipeet, Commented Oct 1 at 7:00
@U880D -- thank you for clarifying that. i missed the difference. [blush] — RLDailey
– RLDailey, Commented Oct 1 at 7:58

U880D · Accepted Answer · 2025-10-01 06:30:09Z

1

Using regex_findall and flattening the result seems to work:

# extract emails from maintenance_notes
- name: Parse email addresses
  set_fact:
    email_addys: "{{ json_data | json_query('[*].maintenance_notes') | map('regex_findall', '([a-zA-Z0-9._-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+.[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+)')| select | flatten | unique | list }}"

It returns the following:

ok: [localhost] => {
    "msg": [
        "[email protected]",
        "[email protected]",
        "[email protected]",
        "[email protected]"
    ]
}

edited Oct 1 at 6:30

U880D

12.8k7 gold badges40 silver badges89 bronze badges

answered Oct 1 at 6:17

pilipeet

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