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Synopsis

Show all declared modules in a working directory

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Usage

terraform [global options] modules [options]

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Description

The terraform modules command prints out a list of all declared Terraform modules and their resolved versions in a Terraform working directory. This command analyzes the configuration to identify all module declarations and resolves their sources and versions from the module manifest. The command reads the root module configuration, traverses the module tree, and displays information about each module including its source, version constraints, and resolved version.

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Prerequisites

Before running this command, you must:
  1. Have a valid Terraform configuration in the working directory
  2. Run terraform init to install module dependencies
If the root module is not found or modules are not installed, the command will fail with an error message instructing you to run terraform init.

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Options

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-json
boolean
If specified, output declared Terraform modules and their resolved versions in a machine-readable JSON format instead of human-readable output.Default: false

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Output Formats

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Human-readable format (default)

Displays modules in a tree-like structure with their sources and versions.

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JSON format

Provides structured JSON output containing detailed information about each module, including:
  • Module key/path
  • Source address
  • Version constraints
  • Resolved version
  • Module references

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Exit Codes

  • 0 - Success
  • 1 - Errors occurred (e.g., configuration errors, uninstalled modules, core version requirement failures)

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Examples

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List modules in human-readable format

terraform modules
Example output: 
Modules:
- root
- vpc
  Source: terraform-aws-modules/vpc/aws
  Version: 5.1.2
- security_group
  Source: terraform-aws-modules/security-group/aws
  Version: 4.17.1

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List modules in JSON format

terraform modules -json
Example output: 
{
  "modules": [
    {
      "key": "",
      "source": ".",
      "dir": "."
    },
    {
      "key": "vpc",
      "source": "terraform-aws-modules/vpc/aws",
      "version": "5.1.2",
      "dir": ".terraform/modules/vpc"
    },
    {
      "key": "security_group",
      "source": "terraform-aws-modules/security-group/aws",
      "version": "4.17.1",
      "dir": ".terraform/modules/security_group"
    }
  ]
}

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Error when modules are not installed

terraform modules
If terraform init has not been run: 
Error: root module not found. Please run terraform init

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