Show Terraform version
Print the installed Terraform CLI version and provider versions in use.
bashANYterraformversion
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terraform versionNotes
Print 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.
Export
Copy the compact sheet, download it, or print it.
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Getting Started
Initialize a working directory and inspect version/help.
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terraform -helpNotes
List Terraform subcommands and global options.
Initialize working directory
Install required providers and modules and initialize backend configuration.
bashANYterraforminitprovidersmodules
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terraform initNotes
Install 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 -upgradeNotes
Upgrade providers and modules to newest allowed versions during initialization.
Init without backend
Initialize modules and providers without configuring remote/backend state.
bashANYterraforminitbackend
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terraform init -backend=falseNotes
Initialize modules and providers without configuring remote/backend state.
Reconfigure backend
Reinitialize backend configuration without migrating existing state automatically.
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terraform init -reconfigureNotes
Reinitialize backend configuration without migrating existing state automatically.
Formatting and Validation
Format and validate configuration before planning.
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terraform fmtNotes
Rewrite Terraform files to canonical style.
Format recursively
Format Terraform files in current directory and subdirectories.
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terraform fmt -recursiveNotes
Format Terraform files in current directory and subdirectories.
Validate configuration
Check whether configuration is syntactically valid and internally consistent.
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terraform validateNotes
Check whether configuration is syntactically valid and internally consistent.
Validate and return JSON
Emit machine-readable validation output, useful in CI.
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terraform validate -jsonNotes
Emit machine-readable validation output, useful in CI.
Open Terraform console
Interactive REPL for testing expressions and inspecting values from state.
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terraform consoleNotes
Interactive 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 testNotes
Execute Terraform test files in the tests directory or specified test directory.
Plan and Apply
Core lifecycle workflow commands.
Create execution plan
Show the actions Terraform would take to reach the desired state.
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terraform planNotes
Show the actions Terraform would take to reach the desired state.
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terraform plan -out=tfplanNotes
Write the generated plan to a file for later apply.
Plan with variable
Set an input variable directly on the command line.
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terraform plan -var='environment=prod'Notes
Set an input variable directly on the command line.
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terraform plan -var-file=prod.tfvarsNotes
Use a tfvars file during planning.
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terraform plan -target=aws_instance.webNotes
Plan changes for a specific resource address.
Refresh-only plan
Compare state with remote objects and update state without proposing config changes.
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terraform plan -refresh-onlyNotes
Compare state with remote objects and update state without proposing config changes.
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terraform plan -destroyNotes
Plan destruction of all managed infrastructure.
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terraform applyNotes
Create or update infrastructure after approval.
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terraform apply -auto-approveNotes
Skip interactive approval prompt.
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terraform apply tfplanNotes
Apply exactly the actions saved in a plan file.
Destroy infrastructure
Destroy all resources managed by the current configuration.
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terraform destroyNotes
Destroy all resources managed by the current configuration.
Destroy without prompt
Destroy infrastructure without approval prompt.
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terraform destroy -auto-approveNotes
Destroy infrastructure without approval prompt.
Inspect State and Outputs
Read outputs, state, graphs, providers, and resource dependencies.
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terraform outputNotes
Display all output values from state.
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terraform output vpc_idNotes
Display a single output value.
Show raw output
Print a string output without JSON quoting or extra formatting.
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terraform output -raw vpc_idNotes
Print a string output without JSON quoting or extra formatting.
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terraform output -jsonNotes
Emit outputs as JSON for scripting.
Show human-readable state or plan
Show human-readable representation of current state.
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terraform showNotes
Show human-readable representation of current state.
bash
terraform show tfplanNotes
Inspect a previously saved plan file.
Show state or plan as JSON
Emit a plan or state file as machine-readable JSON.
bashANYterraformshowjson
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terraform show -json tfplanNotes
Emit a plan or state file as machine-readable JSON.
List resources in state
Print all resource addresses currently tracked in state.
bashANYterraformstatelist
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terraform state listNotes
Print all resource addresses currently tracked in state.
Show one resource from state
Display detailed attributes for one resource instance.
bashANYterraformstateshow
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terraform state show aws_instance.webNotes
Display detailed attributes for one resource instance.
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terraform providersNotes
Show provider requirements and dependency tree.
Generate dependency graph
Generate a Graphviz dependency graph for visualization.
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terraform graph | dot -Tpng > graph.pngNotes
Generate a Graphviz dependency graph for visualization.
Variables and Environment
Pass variables and control Terraform with environment variables.
Disable interactive input
Fail instead of prompting for missing variables.
bashANYterraformplaninputci
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terraform plan -input=falseNotes
Fail instead of prompting for missing variables.
Set TF_VAR variable
Pass an input variable through environment variables.
bashANYterraformenvironmentvariablestf_var
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export TF_VAR_region=us-east-1Notes
Pass an input variable through environment variables.
Default extra CLI args
Inject default arguments for a specific Terraform subcommand.
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export TF_CLI_ARGS_plan='-lock-timeout=60s'Notes
Inject default arguments for a specific Terraform subcommand.
Enable Terraform logging
Turn on Terraform internal logging for troubleshooting.
bashANYterraformenvironmentlogging
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export TF_LOG=INFONotes
Turn on Terraform internal logging for troubleshooting.
Write Terraform log to file
Persist Terraform debug logs to a file.
bashANYterraformenvironmentlogging
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export TF_LOG_PATH=./terraform.logNotes
Persist Terraform debug logs to a file.
Change .terraform directory
Store provider/plugins and local data in a custom directory.
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export TF_DATA_DIR=.tfdataNotes
Store provider/plugins and local data in a custom directory.
Locking and Recovery
Handle state locks and interrupted runs.
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terraform force-unlock LOCK_IDNotes
Release a stuck state lock by lock ID.
Apply with lock timeout
Wait for an existing state lock before failing.
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terraform apply -lock-timeout=120sNotes
Wait for an existing state lock before failing.
Refresh-only apply legacy
Preferred modern replacement for older refresh-only workflows.
bashANYterraformrefreshlegacy
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terraform apply -refresh-onlyNotes
Preferred 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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