| name | terraform-plan-analyzer |
| description | Use when analyzing Terraform plan output for security, cost, and operational impact — parses terraform plan JSON to surface destructive changes, IAM modifications, cost-impacting resources, and drift before apply |
Terraform Plan Analyzer
Overview
Analyzes terraform plan -json output to surface security-sensitive changes, cost-impacting resources, destructive actions, and drift before terraform apply. Complements static code review by showing what will actually change.
Core principle: Review the plan, not just the code. Static analysis catches bad patterns; plan analysis catches bad outcomes.
When to Use
- Before running
terraform apply on any environment
- After modifying Terraform code, to preview impact
- When reviewing CI/CD plan output from a pull request
- To validate that a code change produces the expected resource changes
- After importing or moving resources, to verify no unintended drift
When NOT to Use
- For static Terraform code review without a plan (use a linter or code review instead)
- When
terraform init has not been run and no plan JSON is available
- For non-Terraform IaC tools (CloudFormation, Pulumi, CDK)
- To actually apply changes (this skill is strictly read-only)
Workflow
Detect Plan Source -> Parse Plan JSON -> Analyze Changes -> Write Report -> Present Summary
Plan source priority: user-provided JSON > existing .tfplan file (convert via terraform show -json) > generate via terraform plan -json -lock=false (requires .terraform/). If none available, prompt user to run terraform init or provide CI output.
Critical Rules
- NEVER run
terraform apply — This skill is read-only. Only plan and show commands.
- Use
-lock=false — Don't acquire state lock for analysis.
- ALWAYS write report — Even if no changes detected, document that fact.
- Flag destructive actions prominently — Destroy/replace on stateful resources gets top billing.
- Ask before generating plan — If no plan JSON is provided, confirm with user before running
terraform plan.
Steps
1. Detect Plan Source
Locate plan data using the priority from the Workflow section above. Ask user before generating a new plan.
2. Parse Plan JSON
Extract resource changes, output changes, and diagnostics. Format differs between streamed plan -json (line-delimited) and show -json (single object with resource_changes[]). See reference-tables.md for message types and extraction details.
3. Analyze Changes
Five analysis passes: change summary (by action type), destructive action warnings (risk-classified), security-sensitive changes (IAM/network/encryption/public access), cost-impacting changes (with estimates), and drift detection. See reference-tables.md for all classifications and thresholds.
4. Write Report
Write to claude/infra-review/plan-analysis.md. Include all analysis sections plus a verdict (Safe to Apply / Review Required / Do Not Apply). See templates.md for format and reference-tables.md for verdict criteria.
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Why It Fails | Do Instead |
|---|
Running terraform apply | Causes real infrastructure changes | Only use plan and show commands |
Omitting -lock=false | Blocks other operations by holding state lock | Always pass -lock=false |
| Skipping report when no changes | No record the analysis was performed | Write report documenting "no changes" |
| Treating all destroys equally | Destroying a security group differs from a database | Use risk-level classifications from reference-tables.md |
| Ignoring drift entries | Out-of-band changes may conflict | Always surface drift with likely cause |
Supporting Files
- reference-tables.md — Risk levels, security-sensitive resources, cost estimates, JSON parsing reference, verdict criteria
- templates.md — Report template for plan-analysis.md
