# NetBox NetBox is an open-source application for modeling and documenting network infrastructure, serving as a source of truth for network automation through programmable APIs and extensions. This is one page of public article previews, not the complete archive. Follow Next page to continue. Summaries are not the original full articles. ## Automatically Archive Old NetBox Branches DevFeed: [Automatically Archive Old NetBox Branches]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Rick Donato Published: 2026-08-14T08:00:15Z Content type: release Language: en Sources: [Packet Coders - Learn Network Automation]() Topics: [NetBox](), [Job](), [Database]() Tags: [automatically](), [daily](), [job](), [netbox](), [reduce](), [release](), [tips]() ### AI overview NetBox Branching v1.1.2 introduces the auto_archive_days setting, which runs a daily background job to archive merged branches older than a specified number of days. Automatic archival is disabled by default, and archived branches cannot be reverted. ### Source excerpt A common question we get from students using NetBox Branching is: How can I automatically remove stale branches from NetBox? Therefore, I thought I'd share the latest addition to NetBox Branching, introduced in v1.1.2. This release adds the auto_archive_days setting, allowing you to automatically ## NetBox: How to Prevent Direct Changes to the Main Branch DevFeed: [NetBox: How to Prevent Direct Changes to the Main Branch]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Rick Donato Published: 2026-07-17T12:51:04Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Packet Coders - Learn Network Automation]() Topics: [NetBox](), [configuration]() Tags: [configuration](), [example](), [how-to](), [netbox](), [plugin](), [tips]() ### AI overview This tutorial explains how to use the NetBox Changes plugin to prevent direct changes to the main branch. It describes enabling protect_main so changes use branches and an approval workflow, and provides a configuration example. ### Source excerpt NetBox Tip! Prevent direct changes to the main branch when using the NetBox Changes plugin. Enable protect_main to ensure all changes are made through branches and follow an approval workflow. Here's an example configuration: # ./configuration.py PLUGINS_CONFIG = { "netbox_changes": { "protect_main": True, ## How to Dynamically Create MCP Servers with FastMCP DevFeed: [How to Dynamically Create MCP Servers with FastMCP]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Rick Donato Published: 2026-07-03T08:00:52Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Packet Coders - Learn Network Automation]() Topics: [Model Context Protocol](), [REST API](), [NetBox](), [OpenAPI Specification](), [Large Language Model](), [Server]() Tags: [caching](), [delete](), [how-to](), [llms](), [mcp](), [netbox](), [openapi](), [rest-api](), [servers](), [tips]() ### AI overview A tutorial showing how to dynamically create MCP servers with FastMCP by passing a REST API's OpenAPI schema to a function. Its example builds a NetBox MCP with read/write access, excludes DELETE endpoints, and caches the schema. ### Source excerpt MCP has gained a huge amount of popularity. And for good reason, it's easy to use and can allow you to really harness the benefits of LLMs. So here's a quick MCP tip! Dynamically create MCP servers with FastMCP by passing a REST API's ## From Intent to Reality: Driving pyATS Tests from NetBox Against a CML2 Fabric DevFeed: [From Intent to Reality: Driving pyATS Tests from NetBox Against a CML2 Fabric]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Brent Leekley Published: 2026-06-15T00:00:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [brent.leekley.me blog]() Topics: [NetBox](), [Network](), [Cisco](), [data](), [Structured-data]() Tags: [cisco-modeling-labs](), [cml](), [cml2](), [custom-fields](), [genie](), [ids](), [intent-based-networking](), [netbox](), [network](), [network-automation](), [network-testing](), [ospf](), [pyats](), [pynetbox](), [router-id](), [source-of-truth](), [spine-leaf](), [structured](), [testbed]() ### AI overview This tutorial shows how to store declared OSPF router-IDs in NetBox and use Cisco pyATS to compare them with the router-IDs on a live CML2 spine-leaf fabric. The comparison turns network intent validation into a pass-or-fail test. ### Source excerpt NetBox holds the intent (declared OSPF router-IDs), a CML2 spine-leaf is the network under test, and pyATS is the judge. Close the loop and prove the live network matches what you said it should be, with real pass and fail output. ## Using netlab to Configure Live Devices DevFeed: [Using netlab to Configure Live Devices]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Published: 2026-06-11T06:02:00Z Content type: article Language: en Sources: [ipSpace.net blog]() Topics: [Automation](), [Network](), [configuration](), [YAML](), [NetBox](), [Ansible]() Tags: [automation](), [configuration](), [documentation](), [netlab](), [network](), [yaml]() ### AI overview The article examines whether netlab could eventually configure devices in a live network. It identifies hurdles including missing feature and IPAM integrations, incomplete configuration generation, difficulty merging changes safely, assumptions about unconfigured devices, and the limitations of representing a production network in one YAML file. ### Source excerpt Leo Fleskes sent me an interesting question after reading my Generate Partial Device Configurations with netlab blog post: What is stopping us from eventually, given enough usage and coverage, using netlab to configure devices in the live network? In theory, nothing. In practice, you might hit a few hurdles: Read more ... ## Using Authentication Credentials within NetBox Webhooks DevFeed: [Using Authentication Credentials within NetBox Webhooks]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Rick Donato Published: 2026-05-19T10:30:32Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Packet Coders - Learn Network Automation]() Topics: [NetBox](), [Authentication](), [Environment Variables](), [configuration]() Tags: [authentication](), [blog](), [ci-cd](), [configuration](), [credentials](), [docker](), [environment-variables](), [kubernetes](), [netbox](), [webhooks]() ### AI overview This tutorial explains how to provide authentication credentials in NetBox webhooks without hardcoding secrets in webhook configuration. It presents a custom Jinja2 filter that exposes selected environment variables to webhook headers or bodies, with examples for self-hosted and container-based NetBox deployments. ### Source excerpt Background A question that came up during a recent NetBox training session was: "How should authentication credentials be provided within NetBox webhooks?" For example, you may need to send a webhook from NetBox to an external system such as: CI/CD platforms internal APIs configuration management systems notification ## Speeding Up Ansible NetBox Inventory with Caching and Fewer API Lookups DevFeed: [Speeding Up Ansible NetBox Inventory with Caching and Fewer API Lookups]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Rick Donato Published: 2026-05-05T09:00:12Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Packet Coders - Learn Network Automation]() Topics: [Ansible](), [NetBox](), [API](), [Caching]() Tags: [ansible](), [api](), [caching](), [netbox](), [tips]() ### AI overview This tip explains how to improve Ansible NetBox inventory load times by enabling caching and disabling unused extra lookups in the netbox.netbox.nb_inventory plugin. These changes reduce calls to NetBox API endpoints. ### Source excerpt NetBox/Ansible Tip: The netbox.netbox.nb_inventory plugin pulls data from multiple NetBox API endpoints. Enable caching and disable unused extra lookups to reduce API calls and improve inventory load times. Here's what you need to add to your NetBox inventory plugin file: # Cache inventory data cache: ## NetBox Config Templates Tip: Query Objects Efficiently with .filter() DevFeed: [NetBox Config Templates Tip: Query Objects Efficiently with .filter()]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Rick Donato Published: 2026-03-10T08:00:07Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Packet Coders - Learn Network Automation]() Topics: [NetBox](), [Django](), [Object-relational mapping]() Tags: [config](), [django](), [filter](), [interface](), [interfaces](), [netbox](), [orm](), [query](), [templates](), [tips]() ### AI overview A short tutorial showing how to use .filter() in NetBox Config Templates to query objects during lookups and conditional logic through the Django ORM QuerySet interface. ### Source excerpt Use .filter() in Config Templates to query objects during lookups and conditional logic. This exposes the Django ORM QuerySet filter directly in your templates. Here's an example: {% for iface in device.interfaces.filter(enabled=True, name__startswith="ge-") %} interface {{ iface.name }} {% endfor %} ## Providing zone transfers directly from Netbox DNS DevFeed: [Providing zone transfers directly from Netbox DNS]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Jan-Piet Mens Published: 2026-01-22T23:00:00Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Jan-Piet Mens]() Topics: [NetBox](), [NetBox Plugin](), [Server](), [Provisioning]() Tags: [catalog](), [hmac](), [jan-piet-mens](), [jpm](), [jpmens](), [netbox](), [plugin](), [powerdns](), [rfc](), [sha256](), [tcp]() ### AI overview This technical walkthrough describes netbox-plugin-dns-bridge, a NetBox plugin that provides a small DNS server for AXFR zone transfers. It also explains configuring TSIG keys and using Catalog Zones to provision DNS servers from NetBox. ### Source excerpt When I first wrote about discovering Netbox DNS I mentioned that the combination of Netbox and the DNS plugin don't actually create a DNS server and zone transfers directly from Netbox are thus impossible. I also went on to describe how there exist programs which can export the data into, say, zone master files for further provisioning DNS servers, but the times, they are changing. Sven Luethi has created a bridge between Peter Eckel's netbox-plugin-dns, the NetBox plugin for managing DNS data, and the DNS. It is called netbox-plugin-dns-bridge (previously netbox-plugin-bind-provisioner) and implements a small DNS server within Netbox which provides for zone transfers (AXFR) in order for compliant clients to transfer whole zones. (Naming things is hard in IT, as we sometimes jokingly say, and I'd like to specifically point out that this is not just for a BIND name server - any compliant name server can transfer zones from netbox-plugin-dns-bridge.) Setting this up is quite straightforward, and is well described in the README. I generate a TSIG key which I configure into the plugin. PLUGINS = [ "netbox_dns", "netbox_dns_bridge", "netbox_dhcp" ] PLUGINS_CONFIG = { ..., "netbox_dns_bridge": { "tsig_keys": { "external": { "keyname": "pext", "algorithm": "hmac-sha256", "secret": "kjMj2tWFtBVn56xvhjxcJRoGjDRgHB5fdAkJRb9Imlg=" } } } } What this does is to configure the provisioner to provide transfers for zones in the "external" view when a transfer is requested with the specified TSIG key. I can configure any number of views as long as I use distinct TSIG keys for each; this is the only way the mini DNS server can determine from which view it should serve a zone (or zones). After restarting Netbox I test a zone transfer using dig(1). The TCP port of the mini DNS server is configurable, but I've used the default here. (Note also how the port is specified in the example named.conf stanza below.) I specify the filename containing the TSIG key, the IP address of the mini DNS ## How to Inject Host and Group Vars from Ansible into NetBox Config Templates DevFeed: [How to Inject Host and Group Vars from Ansible into NetBox Config Templates]() Original publisher: [Read original article]() Author: Rick Donato Published: 2025-12-18T09:00:32Z Content type: tutorial Language: en Sources: [Packet Coders - Learn Network Automation]() Topics: [Ansible](), [NetBox](), [configuration](), [API]() Tags: [ansible](), [api](), [config](), [configuration](), [example](), [how-to](), [netbox](), [templates](), [tips]() ### AI overview A tutorial showing how to pass Ansible group_vars and host_vars into NetBox Config Templates so the variables can be used when rendering configuration. ### Source excerpt Ansible and NetBox Tip: Pass Ansible group_vars and host_vars into NetBox Config Templates by sending your Ansible vars, making them available directly within your Config Templates. Here is an example: # Ansible Playbook - name: Trigger NetBox to return rendered configuration ansible.builtin.uri: url: "{{ NETBOX_ENDPOINT }}/api/dcim/