bashANYterraformversion
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terraform versionPrint the installed Terraform CLI version and provider versions in use.
Terraform CLI Cheat Sheet
Core Terraform CLI commands for init, plan, apply, state, output, variables, workspaces, and automation.
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Getting Started
Initialize a working directory and inspect version/help.
bashANYterraformhelp
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terraform -helpList Terraform subcommands and global options.
Initialize working directory
Install required providers and modules and initialize backend configuration.
bashANYterraforminitprovidersmodules
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terraform initInstall required providers and modules and initialize backend configuration.
Init and upgrade providers/modules
Upgrade providers and modules to newest allowed versions during initialization.
bashANYterraforminitupgrade
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terraform init -upgradeUpgrade providers and modules to newest allowed versions during initialization.
bashANYterraforminitbackend
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terraform init -backend=falseInitialize modules and providers without configuring remote/backend state.
Reconfigure backend
Reinitialize backend configuration without migrating existing state automatically.
bashANYterraforminitbackendreconfigure
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terraform init -reconfigureReinitialize backend configuration without migrating existing state automatically.
Formatting and Validation
Format and validate configuration before planning.
bashANYterraformfmtformat
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terraform fmtRewrite Terraform files to canonical style.
bashANYterraformfmtrecursive
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terraform fmt -recursiveFormat Terraform files in current directory and subdirectories.
Validate configuration
Check whether configuration is syntactically valid and internally consistent.
bashANYterraformvalidate
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terraform validateCheck whether configuration is syntactically valid and internally consistent.
bashANYterraformvalidatejsonci
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terraform validate -jsonEmit machine-readable validation output, useful in CI.
bashANYterraformconsoleexpressions
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terraform consoleInteractive REPL for testing expressions and inspecting values from state.
Run Terraform tests
Execute Terraform test files in the tests directory or specified test directory.
bashANYterraformtesttesting
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terraform testExecute Terraform test files in the tests directory or specified test directory.
Plan and Apply
Core lifecycle workflow commands.
bashANYterraformplan
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terraform planShow the actions Terraform would take to reach the desired state.
bashANYterraformplanout
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terraform plan -out=tfplanWrite the generated plan to a file for later apply.
bashANYterraformplanvarvariables
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terraform plan -var='environment=prod'Set an input variable directly on the command line.
bashANYterraformplanvar-filetfvars
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terraform plan -var-file=prod.tfvarsUse a tfvars file during planning.
bashANYterraformplantarget
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terraform plan -target=aws_instance.webPlan changes for a specific resource address.
Refresh-only plan
Compare state with remote objects and update state without proposing config changes.
bashANYterraformplanrefresh-only
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terraform plan -refresh-onlyCompare state with remote objects and update state without proposing config changes.
bashANYterraformplandestroy
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terraform plan -destroyPlan destruction of all managed infrastructure.
bashANYterraformapply
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terraform applyCreate or update infrastructure after approval.
bashANYterraformapplyauto-approve
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terraform apply -auto-approveSkip interactive approval prompt.
bashANYterraformapplyplanfile
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terraform apply tfplanApply exactly the actions saved in a plan file.
bashANYterraformdestroy
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terraform destroyDestroy all resources managed by the current configuration.
bashANYterraformdestroyauto-approve
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terraform destroy -auto-approveDestroy infrastructure without approval prompt.
Inspect State and Outputs
Read outputs, state, graphs, providers, and resource dependencies.
bashANYterraformoutput
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terraform outputDisplay all output values from state.
bashANYterraformoutput
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terraform output vpc_idDisplay a single output value.
bashANYterraformoutputraw
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terraform output -raw vpc_idPrint a string output without JSON quoting or extra formatting.
bashANYterraformoutputjson
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terraform output -jsonEmit outputs as JSON for scripting.
bashANYterraformshowstate
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terraform showShow human-readable representation of current state.
bashANYterraformshowplanfile
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terraform show tfplanInspect a previously saved plan file.
bashANYterraformshowjson
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terraform show -json tfplanEmit a plan or state file as machine-readable JSON.
bashANYterraformstatelist
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terraform state listPrint all resource addresses currently tracked in state.
bashANYterraformstateshow
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terraform state show aws_instance.webDisplay detailed attributes for one resource instance.
bashANYterraformproviders
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terraform providersShow provider requirements and dependency tree.
bashANYterraformgraphdependencies
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terraform graph | dot -Tpng > graph.pngGenerate a Graphviz dependency graph for visualization.
Variables and Environment
Pass variables and control Terraform with environment variables.
bashANYterraformplaninputci
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terraform plan -input=falseFail instead of prompting for missing variables.
bashANYterraformenvironmentvariablestf_var
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export TF_VAR_region=us-east-1Pass an input variable through environment variables.
bashANYterraformenvironmentcli-args
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export TF_CLI_ARGS_plan='-lock-timeout=60s'Inject default arguments for a specific Terraform subcommand.
bashANYterraformenvironmentlogging
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export TF_LOG=INFOTurn on Terraform internal logging for troubleshooting.
bashANYterraformenvironmentlogging
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export TF_LOG_PATH=./terraform.logPersist Terraform debug logs to a file.
bashANYterraformenvironmentdata-dir
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export TF_DATA_DIR=.tfdataStore provider/plugins and local data in a custom directory.
Locking and Recovery
Handle state locks and interrupted runs.
bashANYterraformforce-unlocklocking
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terraform force-unlock LOCK_IDRelease a stuck state lock by lock ID.
bashANYterraformapplylock-timeout
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terraform apply -lock-timeout=120sWait for an existing state lock before failing.
bashANYterraformrefreshlegacy
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terraform apply -refresh-onlyPreferred modern replacement for older refresh-only workflows.
More in Terraform
Terraform Troubleshooting and Migration Cheat Sheet
Commands and patterns for debugging, upgrades, migration, and state repair in Terraform.
Terraform HCP Remote and CI Cheat Sheet
Commands and snippets for HCP Terraform remote runs, CLI auth, automation, and CI-friendly usage.
Terraform Language Patterns Cheat Sheet
High-value HCL patterns for variables, locals, outputs, loops, conditionals, dynamic blocks, and data shaping.
Terraform Modules and Providers Cheat Sheet
Commands and snippets for modules, providers, version constraints, registry access, and dependency management.
Terraform Workspaces and State Cheat Sheet
Manage Terraform CLI workspaces, local and remote state, imports, and state surgery commands.
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