Terraform with GitHub Actions

Automate your Terraform deployments using GitHub Actions for secure, repeatable, and cloud-agnostic workflows. This guide covers best practices for Azure, but the pattern applies to AWS and GCP as well.

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Prerequisites

• Remote Terraform state (e.g., Azure Storage Account, AWS S3, or GCP Cloud Storage)
• Service Principal (Azure) or equivalent credentials for AWS/GCP
• Store credentials as GitHub Secrets (never commit credentials to code)

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Step-by-Step: GitHub Actions Workflow for Terraform (Azure Example)

1. Add the following workflow to .github/workflows/terraform.yml in your repo:

name: 'Terraform CI/CD'

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main
  pull_request:

jobs:
  terraform:
    name: 'Terraform'
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    environment: production
    env:
      ARM_CLIENT_ID: ${{ secrets.AZURE_AD_CLIENT_ID }}
      ARM_CLIENT_SECRET: ${{ secrets.AZURE_AD_CLIENT_SECRET }}
      ARM_SUBSCRIPTION_ID: ${{ secrets.AZURE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID }}
      ARM_TENANT_ID: ${{ secrets.AZURE_AD_TENANT_ID }}
    defaults:
      run:
        shell: bash
    steps:
      - name: Checkout
        uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Set up Terraform
        uses: hashicorp/setup-terraform@v3
      - name: Terraform Format
        run: terraform fmt -check
        working-directory: ./terraform
      - name: Terraform Init
        run: terraform init
        working-directory: ./terraform
      - name: Terraform Validate
        run: terraform validate
        working-directory: ./terraform
      - name: Terraform Plan
        run: terraform plan
        working-directory: ./terraform
      - name: Terraform Apply
        if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
        run: terraform apply -auto-approve
        working-directory: ./terraform

1. Add GitHub Secrets under your repository settings:
   • AZURE_AD_CLIENT_ID → clientId from your Service Principal
   • AZURE_AD_CLIENT_SECRET → clientSecret
   • AZURE_AD_TENANT_ID → tenantId
   • AZURE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID → subscriptionId
   • (Optional) AZURE_CREDENTIALS → full JSON output for some modules

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Best Practices

• Use remote state for collaboration and disaster recovery
• Store credentials only in GitHub Secrets or a secure vault
• Use separate Service Principals for dev, staging, and prod
• Rotate credentials regularly
• Use the latest stable GitHub Actions and Terraform versions

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References

• Terraform GitHub Actions Docs
• Terraform Azure Provider Auth
• GitHub Actions: Encrypted Secrets

Tip: For AWS and GCP, use the respective provider environment variables and credentials in the same workflow pattern.

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Add to SUMMARY.md

- [Terraform with GitHub Actions](pages/terraform/terraform-with-github-actions.md)