Which backend does the Terraform CLI use by default?

Which backend does the Terraform CLI use by default?

• A. Terraform Cloud
• B. Consul
• C. Remote
• D. Local

Answer: (D)

Backends determine where Terraform stores state and how operations are coordinated. When you run Terraform without configuring a backend, it uses the local backend by default. This stores the Terraform state in a local file in your working directory (typically terraform.tfstate) and runs everything on your machine. You only switch away from this default by adding a backend configuration and initializing, which would move state to a remote store such as Terraform Cloud, Consul, or another remote backend. So the default is local because it requires no extra setup.

Backends determine where Terraform stores state and how operations are coordinated. When you run Terraform without configuring a backend, it uses the local backend by default. This stores the Terraform state in a local file in your working directory (typically terraform.tfstate) and runs everything on your machine. You only switch away from this default by adding a backend configuration and initializing, which would move state to a remote store such as Terraform Cloud, Consul, or another remote backend. So the default is local because it requires no extra setup.