Question 1

What happens when Ansible Core reaches end of life?

Accepted Answer

When Ansible Core reaches end of life, it stops receiving security patches, bug fixes, and new features. Currently, 10 Ansible Core versions are already EOL. The latest supported version is Ansible Core 2.21, maintained until November 30, 2027. Running an EOL version exposes your systems to unpatched security vulnerabilities with no official fix available.

Question 2

Is Ansible Core 2.21 still supported?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Ansible Core 2.21 is actively supported until November 30, 2027. It receives security patches and bug fixes. Check the version table above for the full list of supported Ansible Core releases and their exact end-of-life dates.

Question 3

Is it safe to use Ansible Core after end of life?

Accepted Answer

No. Running Ansible Core after EOL is not safe for production systems. Once a version reaches end of life, newly discovered CVEs are published publicly but never patched — leaving your systems permanently exposed. The only safe path is upgrading to an actively supported Ansible Core release.

Question 4

How to upgrade from Ansible Core 2.18 to Ansible Core 2.x?

Accepted Answer

To upgrade Ansible Core from 2.18 to 2.21: (1) review the official migration guide for breaking changes, (2) test your application against the new version in a staging environment, (3) update dependencies that have version constraints, (4) run your full test suite, (5) deploy with a rollback plan. The earlier you start, the more time you have to resolve compatibility issues before EOL.

Question 5

When is the next Ansible Core LTS version?

Accepted Answer

Not all Ansible Core releases have a designated LTS status. Check the version table above — LTS releases are marked with an "LTS" badge. Refer to the official Ansible Core release policy for information on upcoming long-term support versions.

Question 6

How long does Ansible Core support each version?

Accepted Answer

On average, Ansible Core supports each release for approximately 20 months (~1.7 years).  The exact EOL date for each version is listed in the table above.

Version	Released	Active support	EOL date	Until EOL	Latest	CVEs	Status
2.21	May 31, 2026	—	Nov 30, 2027	in 539d	2.21.0	—	Active
2.20	Nov 3, 2025	—	May 31, 2027	in 356d	2.20.6	—	Active
2.19	Jul 21, 2025	—	Nov 30, 2026	in 174d	2.19.10	—	Active
2.18	Nov 4, 2024	—	May 31, 2026	9d ago	2.18.17	—	EOL
2.17	May 20, 2024	—	Nov 30, 2025	191d ago	2.17.14	—	EOL
2.16	Nov 6, 2023	—	Jul 31, 2025	313d ago	2.16.18	—	EOL
2.15	May 22, 2023	—	Nov 30, 2024	556d ago	2.15.13	—	EOL
2.14	Nov 7, 2022	—	May 20, 2024	750d ago	2.14.18	—	EOL
2.13	May 23, 2022	—	Nov 6, 2023	946d ago	2.13.13	—	EOL
2.12	Nov 8, 2021	—	May 22, 2023	1114d ago	2.12.10	—	EOL
2.11	Apr 26, 2021	—	Nov 7, 2022	1310d ago	2.11.12	—	EOL
2.10	Aug 13, 2020	—	May 23, 2022	1478d ago	2.10.17	—	EOL
2.9	Oct 31, 2019	—	May 23, 2022	1478d ago	2.9.27	—	EOL

Ansible Core End of Life Dates

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