Terraform Module Scaffolder

This skill helps create well-structured Terraform modules following best practices and conventions.

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• Creating a new Terraform module from scratch

• Setting up standardized module structure

• Need templates for common AWS/Azure/GCP resources

• Want to ensure module follows Terraform conventions

Module Structure

Generate modules with this standard structure:

module-name/ ├── main.tf # Primary resource definitions ├── variables.tf # Input variables ├── outputs.tf # Output values ├── versions.tf # Provider and Terraform version constraints ├── README.md # Module documentation └── examples/ # Usage examples (optional) └── basic/ └── main.tf

Instructions

1. Gather Requirements

Ask the user:

• What is the module name?

• What cloud provider (AWS, Azure, GCP, multi-cloud)?

• What resources should the module create?

• Any specific requirements or constraints?

2. Create Core Files

main.tf - Include:

• Resource definitions with clear naming

• Local values for computed attributes

• Data sources if needed

variables.tf - Include:

• Required variables first, then optional

• Clear descriptions for each variable

• Sensible defaults where appropriate

• Type constraints (string, number, bool, list, map, object)

• Validation rules for critical inputs

outputs.tf - Include:

• Resource IDs and ARNs

• Connection information (endpoints, URLs)

• Computed attributes that other modules might need

• Clear descriptions for each output

versions.tf - Include:

• Terraform version constraint (use ~> for minor version)

• Provider version constraints

• Required providers block

README.md - Include:

• Module description and purpose

• Usage example

• Requirements section

• Inputs table (can be auto-generated later)

• Outputs table (can be auto-generated later)

3. Apply Best Practices

• Use consistent naming: resource_type-purpose (e.g., s3-logs , vpc-main )

• Add tags to all taggable resources with variables for custom tags

• Use terraform fmt formatting

• Include lifecycle blocks where appropriate

• Add depends_on only when implicit dependencies don't work

• Use count or for_each for conditional resources

4. Add Example Usage

Create examples/basic/main.tf showing minimal working example:

module "example" { source = "../.."

Required variables

name = "example"

Optional variables with common values

tags = { Environment = "dev" ManagedBy = "terraform" } }

Validation Checklist

Before completing, verify:

• All files use consistent formatting (terraform fmt )

• Variables have descriptions and appropriate types

• Outputs have descriptions

• Version constraints are specified

• README includes usage example

• Module follows naming conventions

• Tags are configurable via variables