Use variables in Azure DevOps Pipeline templates

The issue is because you used variable template at steps scope. And variables simply doesnt' exists at that level. This should work for you:

resources:  repositories:    - repository: build-scripts      type: git      name: project-name/build-scriptsvariables:  - template: template-1.yml@build-scriptssteps:  ...

this is available to use at any place where variables are possible to use. So for instance you can use this in that way:

jobs:- job: myJob  timeoutInMinutes: 10  variables:  - template: template-1.yml  # Template reference  pool:    vmImage: 'ubuntu-16.04'  steps:  - script: echo My favorite vegetable is ${{ variables.favoriteVeggie }}.

If your template file only has variables, you can refer to Krzysztof Madej's answer.

If your template file has both variables and steps as shown below, it can only be used by extends.

# File: template-1.ymlvariables: ...steps: ...

Or you can write them in a stage, as shown below.

# File: template-1.ymlstages:- stage: {stage}  variables: ...  jobs:  - job: {job}    steps: ...

Then insert it as a separate stage.

# azure-pipelines.ymlstages:- stage: ...- template: template-1.yml

This approach can help someone, so I decided to post it here.

One more kind of "workaround" for that case, maybe a bit "dirty" since you need to specify the parameters explicitly each time you execute template, which is not a good idea if you have a lot of parameters to pass. (actually, there is a way, read below improved version) But, if you really want or you have not that much parameters, this should work:

the logic is: you have all your parameters in variables template, like templates/vars.yml:

variables:  - name: myVar1    value: MyValue1  - name: myVar2    value: MyValue2

and since you have everything you need in the variables, probably there is no need to importing variables into template itself, because template will be executed in pipeline, which will have your variables imported and you can substitute it explicitly, like in the example below:

templates/my-template-setup-env.yml's content (without variables inside it):

steps:  - script: |      echo "$(myVar3)"

my-azure-pipeline.yml's content (with importing variables template):

name: my-cute-CI-nametrigger:- mainpool:  vmImage: ubuntu-18.04  variables:  - template: templates/vars.yml # importing your variables from templates    stages:      - stage: RunTheStage        displayName: 'Run first stage'        jobs:        - job: RunTheJob          displayName: 'Run your job'          steps:            - template: templates/my-template-setup-env.yml # your template               parameters:                 myVar3: $(myVar1) # substitute value from vars.yml, so myVar1 will be used in templated and printed

Improved version

But, if you have unique naming of your params and variables across all pipelines and templates, you are in safe to not specify it explicitly during template usage, that will work as well:

edited and shortened version of my-azure-pipeline.yml (in case you have the same name of your variable and parameter in template):

variables:  - template: templates/vars.yml...      steps:        - template: templates/my-template-setup-env.yml # env preparation          # parameters:          #   myVar2: $(myVar2) # you don't need to pass any parameters explicitly to the template since you have same name of variable

templates/my-template-setup-env.yml then should be like this:

steps:  - script: |      echo "$(myVar2)" # not myVar3, since myVar3 is not in initial variables file templates/vars.yml

or you need to add remaining variables (myVar3 in our first case) into templates/vars.yml file as well.