# Sanity Tests » no-assert

Do not use `assert` in production Ansible python code. When running Python with optimizations, Python will remove `assert` statements, potentially allowing for unexpected behavior throughout the Ansible code base.

Instead of using `assert` you should utilize simple `if` statements, that result in raising an exception. There is a new exception called `AnsibleAssertionError` that inherits from `AnsibleError` and `AssertionError`. When possible, utilize a more specific exception than `AnsibleAssertionError`.

Modules will not have access to `AnsibleAssertionError` and should instead raise `AssertionError`, a more specific exception, or just use `module.fail_json` at the failure point.