Required Files and Directories in Ansible Collection Structure

Quick Answer

galaxy.yml is correct because it is the one file every Ansible collection must have to be recognized and published at all - it carries the metadata that identifies the collection, including its namespace, name, version, and authors, and both Ansible Galaxy and Automation Hub read it to know what they are distributing. The explanation also points to meta/runtime.yml as the other required file in this two-answer question, and the two work together for different purposes: galaxy.yml is about identity and packaging, while meta/runtime.yml is about compatibility, defining things like the minimum supported Ansible version and how the collection's plugins map into action groups. Neither file is optional filler; the collection build and import tooling will reject a collection that is missing either one. When you are asked about the required structure of an Ansible collection, it helps to separate the files by what job they do: some describe what the collection is, like galaxy.yml, some describe how it behaves at runtime, like meta/runtime.yml, and others, like the plugins or roles directories, hold the actual content. Recognizing which category a file falls into is usually enough to tell whether it is mandatory or just a common convention.