diff --git a/examples/group_vars/all.yml b/examples/group_vars/all.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ce92e88a19a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/group_vars/all.yml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+some_var: some_value_defined_in_group_vars_all
diff --git a/examples/host_vars/localhost.yml b/examples/host_vars/localhost.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f3b0d3fc939
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/host_vars/localhost.yml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+some_var: some_value_defined_in_host_vars_localhost
diff --git a/examples/playbooks/vars/subfolder/settings.yml b/examples/playbooks/vars/subfolder/settings.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8de2e84449e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/playbooks/vars/subfolder/settings.yml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+some_var: some_value_defined_in_vars_subfolder_settings
diff --git a/src/ansiblelint/config.py b/src/ansiblelint/config.py
index 8a977587514..97cd543f8db 100644
--- a/src/ansiblelint/config.py
+++ b/src/ansiblelint/config.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
     {"role": "**/roles/*/"},
     {"tasks": "**/tasks/*.{yaml,yml}"},
     {"handlers": "**/handlers/*.{yaml,yml}"},
-    {"vars": "**/{vars,defaults}/*.{yaml,yml}"},
+    {"vars": "**/{host_vars,group_vars,vars,defaults}/**/*.{yaml,yml}"},
     {"meta": "**/meta/main.{yaml,yml}"},
     {"yaml": ".config/molecule/config.{yaml,yml}"},  # molecule global config
     {"yaml": "**/molecule/*/molecule.{yaml,yml}"},  # molecule config
diff --git a/test/TestUtils.py b/test/TestUtils.py
index bf4102a6773..7b4307a1d93 100644
--- a/test/TestUtils.py
+++ b/test/TestUtils.py
@@ -349,6 +349,9 @@ def test_is_playbook():
         # Undeterminable files:
         ("test/fixtures/unknown-type.yml", "yaml"),
         ("releasenotes/notes/run-playbooks-refactor.yaml", "reno"),  # reno
+        ("examples/host_vars/localhost.yml", "vars"),
+        ("examples/group_vars/all.yml", "vars"),
+        ("examples/playbooks/vars/subfolder/settings.yml", "vars"),  # deep vars
     ),
 )
 def test_auto_detect(monkeypatch, path: str, kind: FileType) -> None: