| name | terraform-search-import |
| description | **WORKFLOW SKILL** — Discover existing Azure resources and bulk import them into Terraform management. WHEN: "terraform import", "import Azure resources", "bring unmanaged infra under Terraform", "adopt Terraform for existing resources", "generate import blocks". DO NOT USE FOR: Bicep code (azure-bicep-patterns), new resource creation (terraform-patterns), architecture decisions (azure-adr). |
| compatibility | Manual workflow requires azurerm ~> 4.0 + Azure CLI. Search workflow requires Terraform >= 1.14 (experimental for azurerm). |
Terraform Search & Import for Azure
Discover existing Azure resources and generate Terraform configuration for bulk import.
References:
Decision Tree
┌─ Identify target Azure resources
│
├─ PRIMARY: Manual Discovery via az CLI (always works)
│ └─ az resource list → create import blocks → terraform plan → apply
│
└─ SECONDARY: Terraform Search (EXPERIMENTAL)
├─ Check: terraform version >= 1.14?
│ └─ NO → use Manual workflow
├─ Check: azurerm supports list_resource_schemas for this type?
│ └─ UNKNOWN/NO → use Manual workflow
└─ YES to both → use Search workflow
Primary workflow = Manual Discovery via az CLI. Always works with azurerm ~> 4.0.
Search workflow is experimental — azurerm provider support for list_resource_schemas
is TBD. Use Manual Discovery as the reliable default.
Rules
- Manual Discovery is the primary path — always works with
azurerm ~> 4.0 and Azure CLI; Terraform Search is experimental and provider support is TBD
- Pin provider to
~> 4.0 — azurerm 4.x renamed many attributes (allow_blob_public_access → allow_nested_items_to_be_public, etc.); pinning to anything else causes drift after import
- Plan before apply — always run
terraform plan after generating import blocks; the plan should show import actions ONLY (no creates / destroys)
- Adopt AVM modules post-import — raw
azurerm_* is acceptable as a temporary state; refactor to Azure/avm-res-* modules with moved {} blocks (see terraform-patterns references/refactor-module.md)
- Document the source — in the imported
resource block, comment the originating az resource list query so future runs can be reproduced
- Out of scope: Bicep code (use
azure-bicep-patterns), new resource creation (use terraform-patterns), architecture decisions (use azure-adr)
Manual Discovery Workflow (Primary)
Three-step procedure: (1) discover existing resources via az resource list (by resource
group, tag, or type-specific commands like az vm list); (2) generate resource + import
blocks for each (full examples and bulk import scripts in
references/manual-import.md); (3) terraform plan (review:
imports only — no creates / destroys) → terraform apply.
Import ID format:
/subscriptions/{sub}/resourceGroups/{rg}/providers/{type}/{name}. The Azure-type ↔
Terraform-resource ↔ az CLI mapping table for the 8 most common services lives in
references/manual-import.md.
Post-Import: Adopt AVM Modules
After importing raw azurerm_* resources, refactor to AVM modules using moved {} blocks.
See terraform-patterns skill references/refactor-module.md for guidance.
Provider and Module Metadata
Use Azure MCP or Azure CLI to discover deployed resource IDs. Use the public
Terraform Registry API for provider/module search and versions, then run
terraform init and terraform providers schema -json for resource schemas.
The canonical commands and source boundaries are in
terraform-conventions.md.
Terraform Search Workflow (Experimental)
Warning: Requires Terraform >= 1.14 and azurerm provider support for
list_resource_schemas (TBD). Use Manual Discovery above as primary path.
Uses .tfquery.hcl files with list blocks to discover resources, then
terraform query -generate-config-out=imported.tf to generate config.
Clean generated output by removing computed attrs, adding variables, applying CAF naming.
Reference Index
| File | Contents |
|---|
references/manual-import.md | Detailed az CLI discovery, bulk import scripts, resource mapping |
scripts/list_resources.sh | Extract supported list resources from providers |
