Try fixing the variable exclusion

.gitlab-ci-template.yml

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ stages:
     - chat
   except:
     - schedules
-  
+
 .default_settings_cron: &default_settings_cron
   stage: deploy
   tags:
@@ -48,4 +48,4 @@ RenewLetsEncrypt:
     - ascr role letsencrypt --tags=renew ${CHAT_INPUT} ${ANSIBLE_EXTRA_ARGS}
   except:
     variables:
-      - $ANSIBLE_JOB_NAME != "RenewLetsEncrypt"
+      - $ANSIBLE_JOB_NAME && $ANSIBLE_JOB_NAME != "RenewLetsEncrypt"

crontabs.yml

-.default_settings: &default_settings
-  stage: deploy
-  tags:
-    - ansible
-  variables:
-    GIT_STRATEGY: none
-  only:
-    refs:
-      - chat
-      - schedules
-    variables:
-      - $ANSIBLE_JOB_NAME
-      - $ANSIBLE_EXTRA_ARGS
-
-RenewLetsEncrypt:
-  <<: *default_settings
-  script:
-    - ascr role letsencrypt --tags=renew ${CHAT_INPUT} ${ANSIBLE_EXTRA_ARGS}
-  except:
-    variables:
-      - $ANSIBLE_JOB_NAME != "RenewLetsEncrypt"