Which backend does the Terraform CLI use by default?

Which backend does the Terraform CLI use by default?

• A. API
• B. Remote
• C. Local
• D. HTTP

Answer: (C)

Backends determine where Terraform stores state and how operations are coordinated. By default, Terraform uses the local backend, which keeps the state file on the local filesystem in the current working directory (the file terraform.tfstate, plus a backup). This setup requires no remote service or configuration, making it simple for small projects or learning. If you configure a remote backend, Terraform will store state remotely instead, but that isn’t used unless you set it up. Options like API or HTTP aren’t the default storage method, and the remote backend is something you enable explicitly for remote state storage. So the default is the local backend.

Backends determine where Terraform stores state and how operations are coordinated. By default, Terraform uses the local backend, which keeps the state file on the local filesystem in the current working directory (the file terraform.tfstate, plus a backup). This setup requires no remote service or configuration, making it simple for small projects or learning. If you configure a remote backend, Terraform will store state remotely instead, but that isn’t used unless you set it up. Options like API or HTTP aren’t the default storage method, and the remote backend is something you enable explicitly for remote state storage. So the default is the local backend.