diff --git a/playbooks/deploy_and_set_up_lxc_on_proxmox.yaml b/playbooks/deploy_and_set_up_lxc_on_proxmox.yaml
index dae20f5..4216f21 100644
--- a/playbooks/deploy_and_set_up_lxc_on_proxmox.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/deploy_and_set_up_lxc_on_proxmox.yaml
@@ -42,6 +42,14 @@
       when: not lxc_hostname is regex('^[a-zA-Z0-9-]+$')
       run_once: true
 
+    - name: Validate IP address
+      ansible.builtin.fail:
+        msg: |
+          Invalid IP address: "{{ lxc_ip_address }}"
+          IP address must be in x.x.x.x/x format (e.g., 192.168.0.90/24).
+      when: not lxc_ip_address is regex('^((25[0-5]|2[0-4]\\d|[01]?\\d\\d?)\\.){3}(25[0-5]|2[0-4]\\d|[01]?\\d\\d?)(\\/(3[0-2]|[12]?\\d))?$')
+      run_once: true
+
   roles:
     - ../roles/deploy_lxc_on_proxmox 
 
diff --git a/playbooks/deploy_vm_from_cloud_init.yaml b/playbooks/deploy_vm_from_cloud_init.yaml
index 8322117..1449859 100644
--- a/playbooks/deploy_vm_from_cloud_init.yaml
+++ b/playbooks/deploy_vm_from_cloud_init.yaml
@@ -40,6 +40,14 @@
       when: not vm_hostname is regex('^[a-zA-Z0-9-]+$')
       run_once: true
 
+    - name: Validate IP address
+      ansible.builtin.fail:
+        msg: |
+          Invalid IP address: "{{ vm_ip_address }}"
+          IP address must be in x.x.x.x/x format (e.g., 192.168.0.89/24).
+      when: not vm_ip_address is regex('^((25[0-5]|2[0-4]\\d|[01]?\\d\\d?)\\.){3}(25[0-5]|2[0-4]\\d|[01]?\\d\\d?)(\\/(3[0-2]|[12]?\\d))?$')
+      run_once: true
+
     - name: Validate OS template
       ansible.builtin.fail:
         msg: |