In Terraform, is it true that only the user who generated a plan may apply it?

In Terraform, is it true that only the user who generated a plan may apply it?

• A. False
• B. True
• C. Only the plan owner can apply it in Terraform Cloud
• D. It depends on the provider

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that applying a plan isn’t tied to the person who generated it. A Terraform plan describes the changes to be made, and the apply step uses that plan to execute those changes. Any user who has access to the same Terraform state and the plan artifact can apply it, whether that’s by using a saved plan file in the CLI or by triggering a run in Terraform Cloud/Enterprise. Access controls and permissions at the workspace or backend level determine who can perform the apply, not the identity of the plan’s creator. The provider itself doesn’t enforce plan-owner-only applies.

The key idea is that applying a plan isn’t tied to the person who generated it. A Terraform plan describes the changes to be made, and the apply step uses that plan to execute those changes. Any user who has access to the same Terraform state and the plan artifact can apply it, whether that’s by using a saved plan file in the CLI or by triggering a run in Terraform Cloud/Enterprise. Access controls and permissions at the workspace or backend level determine who can perform the apply, not the identity of the plan’s creator. The provider itself doesn’t enforce plan-owner-only applies.