Log in to HCP Terraform from the CLI

HCP Terraform runs Terraform operations and stores state remotely, so you can use Terraform without worrying about the stability of your local machine, or the security of your state file.

To use HCP Terraform from the command line, you must log in. Logging in allows you to trigger remote plans and runs, migrate state to the cloud, and perform other remote operations on configurations with HCP Terraform.

Prerequisites

• The Terraform CLI (version 1.1.0+) installed locally
• An HCP Terraform account

Start the login flow

In order to authenticate with HCP Terraform, run the terraform login subcommand. Respond yes to the prompt to confirm that you want to authenticate.

$ terraform login
Terraform will request an API token for app.terraform.io using your browser.

If login is successful, Terraform will store the token in plain text in
the following file for use by subsequent commands:
    /Users/redacted/.terraform.d/credentials.tfrc.json

Do you want to proceed?
  Only 'yes' will be accepted to confirm.

  Enter a value: yes

Generate a token

A browser window will automatically open to the HCP Terraform login screen. Enter a token name in the web UI, or leave the default name, terraform login.

Click Create API token to generate the authentication token.

Save a copy of the token in a secure location. It provides access to your HCP Terraform organization. Terraform will also store your token locally at the file path specified in the command output.

Add the token to the CLI

When the Terraform CLI prompts you, paste the user token exactly once into your terminal. Terraform will hide the token for security when you paste it into your terminal. Press Enter to complete the authentication process.

Terraform must now open a web browser to the tokens page for app.terraform.io.

If a browser does not open this automatically, open the following URL to proceed:
    https://app.terraform.io/app/settings/tokens?source=terraform-login


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Generate a token using your browser, and copy-paste it into this prompt.

Terraform will store the token in plain text in the following file
for use by subsequent commands:
    /Users/redacted/.terraform.d/credentials.tfrc.json

Token for app.terraform.io:
  Enter a value:


Retrieved token for user redacted

Welcome to HCP Terraform!

Next Steps

Once you have authenticated to HCP Terraform, you are ready to perform remote operations. Continue to the next tutorial to create a new HCP Terraform variable set.

Discover more remote operations to perform with a logged in CLI in the HCP Terraform CLI-driven Runs documentation.