When should you run terraform init in a new Terraform project?

When should you run terraform init in a new Terraform project?

• A. After you run terraform apply for the first time in a new Terraform project and before you run terraform plan
• B. After you run terraform plan for the first time in a new Terraform project and before you run terraform apply
• C. After you start coding a new Terraform project and before you run terraform plan for the first time
• D. Before you start coding a new Terraform project

Answer: (A)

Terraform init is the step that prepares your working directory for Terraform by downloading provider plugins, modules, and configuring the backend. Do this once you have a new configuration in place in your project directory, and before you run a plan for the first time. This initializes all the pieces Terraform needs to understand and manage your infrastructure. The usual flow is: initialize, then plan, then apply. If you skip init and try to plan or apply, Terraform won’t have the providers and backend ready, and the commands will fail. So, in a new Terraform project, you should start coding the configuration and then run init, and only after that run plan for the first time. The timing described here ensures Terraform can fetch what it needs and correctly set up the state backend before evaluating or applying changes.

Terraform init is the step that prepares your working directory for Terraform by downloading provider plugins, modules, and configuring the backend. Do this once you have a new configuration in place in your project directory, and before you run a plan for the first time. This initializes all the pieces Terraform needs to understand and manage your infrastructure.

The usual flow is: initialize, then plan, then apply. If you skip init and try to plan or apply, Terraform won’t have the providers and backend ready, and the commands will fail. So, in a new Terraform project, you should start coding the configuration and then run init, and only after that run plan for the first time. The timing described here ensures Terraform can fetch what it needs and correctly set up the state backend before evaluating or applying changes.