Cheat-sheet for setting and retrieving variables in Azure DevOps yaml pipelines across different steps, jobs and stages.

cross-stage-variables-azure-devops-yaml-pipeline.yml

# Cheat-sheet for using dynamically defined variables between steps, jobs and stages in Azure DevOps Yaml Pipelines
# Documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/process/variables?view=azure-devops&tabs=yaml%2Cbatch

trigger: none
pr: none

stages:
  - stage: DefineVarStage
    jobs:
      - job: DefineVarJob
        pool:
          vmImage: "ubuntu-latest"
        steps:
          - script: "echo outputVar: $(DefineVar.outputVar)"
            name: ValueBeforeDef

          # Define the variable using vso tasks. isOutput=true must be present
          - powershell: echo "##vso[task.setvariable variable=outputVar;isOutput=true]Value defined in DefineVarStage.DefineVarJob.DefineVar"
            name: DefineVar # Name the step so that it can later be retrieved

          # Usage in the same job requires $([name of step].[name of variable])
          - script: "echo outputVar: $(DefineVar.outputVar)"
            name: RefVarInSameStep

      - job: UseVarJob
        dependsOn: DefineVarJob # Depend on the job where the variable is defined. (implicit dependency on previous job)
        pool:
          vmImage: "ubuntu-latest"
        variables:
          # Look up the job in the "dependencies" set and find the appropriate output variable
          outputVar: $[dependencies.DefineVarJob.outputs['DefineVar.outputVar']]
        steps:
          # Use the local variable as any other
          - script: "echo DefineVarJob.DefineVar.outputVar: $(outputVar)"
            name: RefVarInOtherJob

  - stage: UseVarStage
    dependsOn: DefineVarStage # Depend on the stage with the job with the step that defines the variable.
    variables:
      # Look up the stage in the "stageDependencies" set, find the job and finally the output variable.
      outputVar: $[stageDependencies.DefineVarStage.DefineVarJob.outputs['DefineVar.outputVar']]
    jobs:
      - job: UseVarStageJob
        pool:
          vmImage: "ubuntu-latest"
        steps:
          # Use the local variable as any other
          - script: "echo DefineVarStage.DefineVarJob.DefineVar.outputVar: $(outputVar)"
            name: RefVarInOtherStage

  # Same as above but this time using deployments
  - stage: DefineVarDeploymentStage
    dependsOn: DefineVarStage
    jobs:
      - deployment: DefineVarDeploymentJob
        environment: dev # For deployments the environment is required
        pool:
          vmImage: "ubuntu-latest"
        strategy:
          runOnce:
            deploy:
              steps:
                - script: "echo outputVar: $(DefineVar.outputVar)"
                  name: ValueBeforeDef

                # Define the variable using vso tasks. isOutput=true must be present
                - powershell: echo "##vso[task.setvariable variable=outputVar2;isOutput=true]Value defined in DefineVarDeploymentStage.DefineVarDeploymentJob.DefineVar2"
                  name: DefineVar2 # Name the step so that it can later be retrieved

                # Usage in the same job requires $([name of step].[name of variable])
                - script: "echo outputVar: $(DefineVar2.outputVar2)"
                  name: RefVarInSameStep

      - deployment: UseVarDeploymentJob
        environment: dev # For deployments the environment is required
        dependsOn: DefineVarDeploymentJob # Depend on the job where the variable is defined. (implicit dependency on previous job)
        pool:
          vmImage: "ubuntu-latest"
        variables:
          # Look up the job in the "dependencies" set and find the appropriate output variable
          # Note that because this is a deployment, we must also prefix the dependency output with the name of the job.
          outputVar2: $[dependencies.DefineVarDeploymentJob.outputs['DefineVarDeploymentJob.DefineVar2.outputVar2']]
        strategy:
          runOnce:
            deploy:
              steps:
                # Use the local variable as any other
                - script: "echo DefineVarDeploymentJob.DefineVar2.outputVar2: $(outputVar2)"
                  name: RefVarInOtherJob

  - stage: UseVarDeploymentStage
    dependsOn:
      - DefineVarStage
      - DefineVarDeploymentStage # Depend on the stage with the job with the step that defines the variable.
    variables:
      # Look up the stage in the "stageDependencies" set, find the job and finally the output variable.
      # Note that because the job that defined the variables was a deployment, we must also prefix the dependency output with the name of the job.
      outputVar: $[stageDependencies.DefineVarStage.DefineVarJob.outputs['DefineVar.outputVar']]
      outputVar2: $[stageDependencies.DefineVarDeploymentStage.DefineVarDeploymentJob.outputs['DefineVarDeploymentJob.DefineVar2.outputVar2']]
    jobs:
      - deployment: UseVarDeploymentJob
        environment: dev # For deployments the environment is required
        pool:
          vmImage: "ubuntu-latest"
        strategy:
          runOnce:
            deploy:
              steps:
                # Use the local variable as any other
                - script: "echo DefineVarStage.DefineVarJob.DefineVar.outputVar: $(outputVar)"
                  name: RefVarInOtherJobStage
                - script: "echo DefineVarDeploymentStage.DefineVarDeploymentJob.DefineVar2.outputVar2: $(outputVar2)"
                  name: RefVarInOtherDeploymentStage