Terraform remove something from state That’s awesome! But today, we’re diving into something super important that ties it all together: Terraform State. vms["AmbariMaas"] to be planned for destruction. The terraform state file is used to track the bindings between resource instance addresses in your configuration and May 29, 2025 · Introduction and Usecase There are times when we want Terraform to stop managing a resource, but don’t want to delete it from the infrastructure. Apr 23, 2024 · Removing Resources from Terraform State To remove a resource from Terraform’s state file without destroying it in the cloud, follow these steps: 1. So to remove any particular resource from . This file essentially tracks the infrastructure that Terraform manages. blah-ecrSuccessfully removed 1 resource instance(s). In this brief blog, I'm going to discuss removing resources from Terraform configuration files while keeping them in real infrastructure. . How can I delete resources ? Is it possible to destroy resources without having conf files ? Dec 12, 2022 · To remove a resource from the Terraform state, you can use the $ terraform state rm command. null } Nov 26, 2024 · Step by Step in terraform To remove a resource from your Terraform configuration & state file without destroying the real infrastructure object it manages Old Method – Using Command Line Oct 6, 2024 · Learn to safely and efficiently remove resources from your Terraform state file without deleting them from your infrastructure. Sep 25, 2019 · Solution: Terraform state commands We can use the terraform state manipulation commands that terraform provides to safely move the ith element to delete to the last position and then delete that from our code as we did above. Oct 21, 2025 · Learn how to use the terraform state rm command to remove single and multiple resources from the Terraform state file. May 27, 2025 · Mastering Terraform state rm: Tips and Tricks 2025-05-27 Understanding terraform state rm In Terraform, the terraform state rm command is used to remove a resource from the Terraform state file. tfstate you can try something like below; First would suggest you to after destroy the file list the state file you have then remove those. That command removes the binding from the Terraform resource instance to the now-deleted remote object, and so on the next terraform apply Terraform will consider that object as needing to be created. Use Case Removing specific resources is use Feb 24, 2023 · terraform state rm: As the name tells to remove something from the state file. Why would you use it? There are a few scenarios where you might want to use Sep 18, 2023 · If you want to move certain resources to another Terraform workspace, you can use terraform state rm to first remove them from the current state and then add them again in the new workspace and new configuration file. 29 locally, but the latest Terraform container image for GitLab CI is Terraform 0. Dec 9, 2024 · Running terraform destroy is not the only way to delete the infrastructure resources. Just wasn't sure if it would do a thorough job of cleaning up the redundancy in the local state file. resourcename' format I had to remove the Route53 entries which were created by Terraform earlier, but now we wanted to remove it as Terraform destroys it if current state not matches. Creating then removing local_file from state Created a simple module which only creates one local file resource. If you only want to “unlink” it permanently, you also need to remove it from the . So from my command line, I run terraform state rm the_resource. Clients may describe their infrastructure in code thanks to Terraform's declarative configuration language and rich ecosystem, which promotes automation, consistency, and scalability. This command allows you to remove resources from the Terraform state file. Terraform records the results of precondition and postcondition checks to state, but not the contents of the checks. Alternatively, you can use the terraform state rm command to remove a resource from state, but we recommend using the removed block instead. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Sep 5, 2024 · The Terraform state file keeps track of the current state of your infrastructure, acting as a blueprint for Terraform to determine what resources it needs to add, modify, or remove. tfstate and Aug 30, 2021 · Have you been in the situation where cleaning up your Infrastructure as Code (powered by HashiCorp Terraform) to delete deprecated resources resulted in the Terraform apply taking longer than expected? Maybe this is what you are seeing: azurerm_backu Mar 24, 2022 · Beware: Removing resources from your state will add them again, if you keep the resources within your terraform files. State Remove Command – Use the terraform state rm <resource-id> command to remove the resource from the Sep 6, 2025 · After removing, Terraform may try to recreate that resource if the configuration still exists and you run terraform apply. Once you have decided, run the state rm command to remove the resource data from Terraform's state tracking. Apr 19, 2020 · Sometimes you may wish to remove a resource from your Terraform configuration without destroying the real infrastructure object it manages. 2. May 20, 2025 · This command is used to delete the infrastructure set up with Terraform Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC). Feb 3, 2024 · The terraform state rm is a Terraform command that allows you to remove a resource from the Terraform state, which is helpful in situations where you want to disassociate a resource from your configuration without actually destroying the resource in your infrastructure. A value of false means that Terraform will remove the resources from state without destroying them. Nov 26, 2024 · Step-by-Step Tutorial for Using the removed Block in Terraform The removed block in Terraform (introduced in version 1. Terraform is a “desired state” system, and so it will notice that the objects it previously created are no longer in the configuration (which describes the “desired state”) and so propose to delete them to make the remote system match your configuration change. 28. It’s not just about infrastructure provisioning anymore — it’s about managing the truth of your infrastructure. But why would you want to do this in the first Jan 30, 2024 · The terraform state rm is a Terraform command that allows you to remove a resource from the Terraform state, which is helpful in situations where you want to disassociate a resource from your configuration without actually destroying the resource in your infrastructure. tfstate file and manually do “JSON surgery” but this is not a recommended action, mainly for the high chance of human errors and potentially wrecking your state file. Learn how to manually update with state data. Terraform automatically creates a state file in which May 27, 2024 · In this tutorial, we discuss how to reset to terraform default tfstate. tfstate) is both powerful and Dec 7, 2023 · The destroy argument determines whether Terraform will attempt to destroy the objects managed by the module or not. In this case, the resource will be removed from the Terraform state, but the real infrastructure object will not be destroyed. Think of state Jun 21, 2023 · Reason 2, I saw a co-worker unlocking our terraform state file and then manually going inside to remove resources from state. Notice that aside from the "create" operation the others all work with objects already tracked in the Terraform state. With its comprehensive instructions and Feb 11, 2025 · By applying these best practices, you can effectively manage Terraform challenges and optimize infrastructure as code. Jul 21, 2022 · Hi @Let-itGo, The usual way to destroy something in Terraform is to remove it from your configuration and run terraform apply. This will avoid conflicts in the state. You can import resource to state file with terraform import Make sure to refactor your code accordingly as other mentioned so your resources are not being destroyed/recreated. Use the terraform state rm command. 7) provides a safe way to remove resources from the Terraform state without This tells Terraform to only evaluate the targeted resource during execution. Jun 9, 2020 · Hi @slim-azaiz, The usual way to destroy something is to remove it from the configuration and run terraform apply. However, it isn’t the best option in most cases, because when we delete the state file, Terraform loses track of the existing infrastructure. Introduction This article details how to use the cloud backend to remove resources within a workspace managed by Terraform Cloud or Terraform Enterprise. The `terraform state replace-provider` command replaces the provider for resources in the Terraform state. This is because the removed block lets you preview the results of the operation, which makes it a safer way to remove resources. Jul 30, 2020 · Another possible option is to tell Terraform to “forget” about the now-deleted object, using terraform state rm. $ {provider_name}" should remove all resources created with that provider. Delete the State File Deleting the state file and reinitializing the working directory is one way to reset our Terraform state. Identify the Resource – Determine the resource you want to remove from the state file. tfstate by removing from portal itself. Usage All lifecycle settings affect how Terraform constructs and traverses the dependency graph. Please note that this command will remove both deposed and non-deposed instances of the resource from the state. Fixing state issues, something about I mentioned at the beginning. This command can remove single resources, single instances of a … Jul 12, 2025 · Let’s Talk Terraform State, Infra Coders! Hey there, Infra coders! By now, you’ve got Terraform installed, connected it to a cloud provider like AWS, and even created an S3 bucket with a simple configuration file. I have a Terraform 0. Aug 3, 2025 · Terraform State Management Introduction “State is the source of truth in Terraform. $ terraform refresh -help Usage: terraform [global options] refresh [options] Update the state file of your infrastructure with metadata that matches the physical resources they are tracking. blah-ecr'Removed aws_ecr_repository. But I see it in the state May 30, 2023 · Error: Resource already managed by Terraform Terraform is already managing a remote object for aws_ssoadmin_permission_set. In your case here, that would mean removing the AmbariMaas element from server_definitions, which will in turn cause the cloudplatform_compute_instance. I'll definitely give it a go. The terraform destroy command deprovisions all objects managed by a Terraform configuration. Remove, replace, and re-import resources to manage state and reconcile drift in your infrastructure. If your goal is to keep it in the configuration but to recreate it, then you can Delete: when there's an object tracked in the state that doesn't match with a resource instance tracked in the configuration. ” This single sentence often triggers a flurry of fear, confusion, or outright panic in engineers when something goes wrong. 11 project with 30-40 different resources. Jul 25, 2022 · When we are using terraform destroy that time our resource detailed also removed from terraform. nameofmyroute53record' this updated the state file in the S3 location Jan 18, 2023 · How can I delete an output (that does not exist in code anymore)? It is not shown in terraform state list and I am therefore unable to target int with tarraform state rm. While you will typically not want to destroy long-lived objects in a production environment, Terraform is sometimes used to manage ephemeral infrastructure for development purposes, in which case you can use terraform destroy to conveniently clean up all of those temporary objects once you are finished Jun 19, 2025 · Without the state file, Terraform has no idea that the instance even exists — so it might try to create a new one, or worse, delete something by mistake. Apr 4, 2016 · That is possible to trick the Terraform state file by executing terraform state rm 'resourcetype. my_resource. " The terraform state rm command is used to remove items from the Terraform state. Instead of using those as resource, change them to use data sources. So the terraform state rm 'aws_route53_record. (I could try to Jan 27, 2025 · Terraform manages infrastructure by comparing the current state of your infrastructure (stored in the Terraform state file) with the desired state defined in your configuration files. 3. Nov 14, 2024 · Learn how to revert Terraform changes and rollback your infrastructure to a previous state using practical examples and best practices. The `terraform state rm` command removes bindings between resource instances defined in the Terraform configuration and corresponding remote objects. Full guide with best practices for clean state management. ). This metadata might cause new changes to occur when you generate a plan or call apply next. When you run terraform destroy, Terraform checks the state file to find and remove the managed infrastructure from your cloud platform (like AWS, Azure, GCP, etc. This guide covers the basics of Terraform state management and provides step-by-step instructions on how to delete all state from your local machine and all remote state providers. State data is the record of how real-world objects map to resources in the Terraform configuration. AWSAdministratorAccess. This command can remove single resources, single instances of a resource, entire modules, and more. You’ll need its resource type and name. Jan 1, 2024 · $ terraform state rm 'aws_ecr_repository. If your state file is stored locally (bad practice), then all you need to do is simply make a backup of the terraform. Jul 30, 2020 · I decided to try using Gitlab as a backend for Terraform. Use the import command to bring the existing desired resource back under Terraform's management. Step 3 -: Add the removed block in the code to remove the resource from the state . Terraform v0. Such an approach is necessary when manual delete of an infrastructure resource lead to a state mismatch. Continuing on the importance of the state file – there are essentially two ways to destroy resources using The `terraform state mv` command changes bindings in Terraform state so that existing remote objects bind to new resource instances. removed { from = null_resource. This can be done using the Nov 12, 2021 · I have terraform state file only, don’t have conf file which were used to create resources . Update, delete, or encrypt Terraform state files with best practices and CyberPanel support. Jul 23, 2025 · Terraform is an extremely effective solution for cloud resource deployment, administration, and provisioning in the quickly expanding field of infrastructure as code (IaC). I was looking for something clo Sep 16, 2021 · Read up a bit on the terraform state rm earlier and thought that might be the best bet too. See use case examples. Oct 31, 2018 · 2 You can use terraform state rm to remove the resource from state file. This procedure outlines how to remove a resource from Terraform's state file using the removed block in your configuration, while leaving the real infrastructure resource intact. Sep 23, 2023 · Terraform Cloud’s state storage API is at a higher level of abstraction than the generic “blob storage” systems targeted by most other backends, and so it enforces some additional constraints to try to ensure that it isn’t possible to upload something that would be totally invalid to Terraform, and that it’s hard to accidentally Jun 18, 2024 · Removing a resource from the Terraform state is a common task when you need Terraform to stop managing a specific resource without actually destroying the resource. This is a big nono. Jul 7, 2019 · The wrong way One could easily open up the terraform. May 19, 2025 · Learn how to safely perform a Terraform remove from state using the terraform state rm command. Problem: I am running Terraform 0. For one reason or another, I needed to manually remove something from my state because it was breaking my CI pipeline. Modify the Terraform Configuration Remove the resource block from your existing Terraform configuration and replace it with the removed block. 12. The state helps Terraform figure out what to change, and what to leave alone. That being said, allow to me show you how. Refer to Remove a resource from state for instructions on how to remove a resource from state without destroying the actual resource. This will not modify your infrastructure, but it can modify your state file to update metadata. Aug 3, 2022 · When you prepare your code using Terraform and create the resources by performing a terraform apply command, you take advantage of automation. Create an EC2 instance and security group, and move a resource to another state file. test[0] This will remove/untrack firewall rule at position 0 (rule one Oct 8, 2019 · Hi there, I think command "terraform rm module. Dec 21, 2021 · Is there some kind of terraform command I can use to list out these removed modules without the extra test so I can loop through runs of terraform state rm to remove them from the state file? Or is there some kind of terraform command that can automatically do this in a generic manner like terraform state rm -all-not-present? Apr 29, 2025 · Learn how to manage the Terraform state file. Terraform’s state file (terraform. tf code. The terraform state rm command is used to remove items from the Terraform state. I would like to delete all of them except a few - and those few are logically related to each other. Steps Remove the item to be deleted from the state file terraform state rm google_compute_firewall. 9 Use-cases I have some helm chart created using provider helm_release Attempted Solutions I can del Learn how to delete all Terraform state with a single command, including state stored in remote state providers like S3 and Azure Blob Storage. To import to this address you must first remove the existing object from the state Jan 11, 2024 · After modifying the state, verify the current state: echo "Verifying the post-removal state:" terraform state list Conclusion This tutorial demonstrates how to safely remove a single item or all items from the Terraform state. hjidmot wclbfun jqdzdgo fkman pgqlmg qqaek ihhqbs xthov glcnkx rriun siz tiafs bgdbm aky asxf