You have deployed a new webapp with a public IP address on a cloud provider. However, you did not create any outputs for your code. What is the best method to quickly find the IP address of the resource you deployed?

You have deployed a new webapp with a public IP address on a cloud provider. However, you did not create any outputs for your code. What is the best method to quickly find the IP address of the resource you deployed?

• A. Run terraform output ip_address to view the result
• B. In a new folder, use the terraform_remote_state data source to load in the state file, then write an output for each resource that you find the state file
• C. Run terraform state list to find the name of the resource, then terraform state show to find the attributes including public IP address
• D. Run terraform destroy then terraform apply and look for the IP address in stdout

Answer: (C)

When you need to quickly find a deployed resource’s IP address without any outputs, inspect Terraform’s state directly. Start by listing the resources Terraform knows about with a state list command to identify the exact resource address for your web app. Then use state show on that address to view all of its attributes, including the public IP. The IP will appear under a provider-specific attribute name—often public_ip, ip_address, or natIP—so scan the shown attributes to locate it. This approach is fast and non-destructive, relying only on what Terraform already recorded in state. The alternative of using a defined output won’t work here because no outputs exist. Using a remote_state data source adds unnecessary complexity and setup. Destroying and re-applying would be risky and unlikely to help you retrieve the value, plus it can change the environment.

When you need to quickly find a deployed resource’s IP address without any outputs, inspect Terraform’s state directly. Start by listing the resources Terraform knows about with a state list command to identify the exact resource address for your web app. Then use state show on that address to view all of its attributes, including the public IP. The IP will appear under a provider-specific attribute name—often public_ip, ip_address, or natIP—so scan the shown attributes to locate it.

This approach is fast and non-destructive, relying only on what Terraform already recorded in state. The alternative of using a defined output won’t work here because no outputs exist. Using a remote_state data source adds unnecessary complexity and setup. Destroying and re-applying would be risky and unlikely to help you retrieve the value, plus it can change the environment.