terraform-skill MCP — Use Cases, Install & Live Demo

Why use it

Key features

Testing decision framework: native tests vs Terratest by scenario
Module structure, naming, versioning, and docs conventions
Ready-to-adapt GitHub Actions and GitLab CI pipelines with Infracost + tfsec/Checkov
Side-by-side recommended vs problematic patterns
Based on terraform-best-practices.com and the terraform-aws-modules ecosystem

Live Demo

What it looks like in practice

terraform-skill.replay ▶ ready

0/0

Install

Pick your client

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json · Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "terraform-skill": {
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/antonbabenko/terraform-skill",
        "~/.claude/skills/terraform-skill"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config. Restart after saving.

~/.cursor/mcp.json · .cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "terraform-skill": {
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/antonbabenko/terraform-skill",
        "~/.claude/skills/terraform-skill"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Cursor uses the same mcpServers schema as Claude Desktop. Project config wins over global.

VS Code → Cline → MCP Servers → Edit

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "terraform-skill": {
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/antonbabenko/terraform-skill",
        "~/.claude/skills/terraform-skill"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Click the MCP Servers icon in the Cline sidebar, then "Edit Configuration".

~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "terraform-skill": {
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/antonbabenko/terraform-skill",
        "~/.claude/skills/terraform-skill"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Same shape as Claude Desktop. Restart Windsurf to pick up changes.

~/.continue/config.json

{
  "mcpServers": [
    {
      "name": "terraform-skill",
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/antonbabenko/terraform-skill",
        "~/.claude/skills/terraform-skill"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Continue uses an array of server objects rather than a map.

~/.config/zed/settings.json

{
  "context_servers": {
    "terraform-skill": {
      "command": {
        "path": "git",
        "args": [
          "clone",
          "https://github.com/antonbabenko/terraform-skill",
          "~/.claude/skills/terraform-skill"
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to context_servers. Zed hot-reloads on save.

claude mcp add terraform-skill -- git clone https://github.com/antonbabenko/terraform-skill ~/.claude/skills/terraform-skill

One-liner. Verify with claude mcp list. Remove with claude mcp remove.

Use Cases

Real-world ways to use terraform-skill

Scaffold a new Terraform module the idiomatic way

👤 Platform engineers publishing a reusable module ⏱ ~45 min intermediate

When to use: You're splitting out a module for internal or public reuse and want the structure right the first time.

Flow

State the module's purpose

Use the terraform-skill. Scaffold a module for an AWS ECS service with optional ALB and CloudWatch alarms.✓ Copied

→ Structure follows terraform-aws-modules conventions — main.tf, variables.tf, outputs.tf, versions.tf, README.md, examples/
Add tests

Recommend tests — native or Terratest? Apply the decision framework.✓ Copied

→ Reasoned choice and scaffolded test files

Outcome: A module that passes review on the first PR.

Pitfalls

Versioning too loose (~> vs specific) — Skill defaults to pinned minors for required_providers

Combine with: github

Add a hardened CI pipeline to an existing Terraform repo

👤 DevOps / platform engineers ⏱ ~40 min advanced

When to use: Your repo lacks plan-on-PR, cost checks, or security scans.

Prerequisites

GitHub or GitLab hosting — For the respective pipeline template

Flow

Request the pipeline

Use terraform-skill. Add GitHub Actions for plan-on-PR, Infracost, tfsec, and gated apply on main.✓ Copied

→ Workflow files with concurrency guards, OIDC auth, status checks
Security tune

Which Checkov / tfsec rules should we fail on vs warn?✓ Copied

→ Opinionated list with rationale

Outcome: A pipeline that blocks risky changes without slowing everyone down.

Pitfalls

Pipeline uses long-lived AWS keys — Skill prefers OIDC/role assumption, not static keys

Combine with: github

Design a multi-environment layout without state explosions

👤 Teams scaling from dev/prod to dev/staging/prod/per-tenant ⏱ ~60 min advanced

When to use: You feel the pain of copy-pasted env folders or a monolith state.

Flow

Describe the envs

Use terraform-skill. We need dev/staging/prod plus per-tenant envs. What layout scales?✓ Copied

→ Recommendation with tradeoffs (workspaces vs dirs vs Terragrunt)
Plan the migration

We're currently on a single state. Sketch the migration.✓ Copied

→ State-move plan with risk callouts

Outcome: A layout you can defend in an ADR.

Pitfalls

Moving state without imports/breakdowns can destroy resources — The skill insists on terraform state mv / import steps, not delete-and-recreate

Combinations

Pair with other MCPs for X10 leverage

terraform-skill + github

Skill produces module + workflow; GitHub MCP opens the PR

Scaffold the module, add the workflow, open a PR into our platform repo.✓ Copied

terraform-skill + aws

Cross-check the Terraform plan against live AWS state

Show me the plan, then diff against actual resources via the AWS MCP.✓ Copied

Tools

What this MCP exposes

Tool	Inputs	When to call
Module scaffolding	module purpose + provider	Starting a new module
Test strategy advisor	module scope	Adding test coverage
CI pipeline templates (GHA / GitLab)	hosting choice	Setting up CI for a repo
Pattern compare	a snippet	Reviewing existing code

Cost & Limits

What this costs to run

API quota: None
Tokens per call: 2-6k per session — moderate
Monetary: Free — skill is local
Tip: Ask one focused question (testing / CI / layout) at a time.

Security

Permissions, secrets, blast radius

Credential storage: No credentials in the skill. Any provider creds belong in your env, not the generated code.

Data egress: None from the skill itself

Generated CI pipelines may reference secret names — make sure you set those secrets in the repo settings before merging.

Troubleshooting

Common errors and fixes

Skill's suggestion conflicts with your org's style

Provide your .terraform-docs config and existing module as style anchors.

Recommended OIDC setup fails on assume-role

Check the trust policy's sub condition matches your branch/env.

Alternatives

terraform-skill vs others

Alternative	When to use it instead	Tradeoff
Terragrunt-first skills	You're committed to Terragrunt	Less coverage here; Terragrunt workflows differ substantially
Cloud-provider-native IaC skills (aws-cdk, pulumi)	You're not on Terraform/OpenTofu	Different tool, different patterns

More

Resources

📖 Read the official README on GitHub

🐙 Browse open issues

🔍 Browse all 400+ MCP servers and Skills