Execute this skill empowers AI assistant to build reusable terraform modules based on user specifications. it leverages the terraform-module-builder plugin to generate production-ready, well-documented terraform module code, incorporating best practices for sec... Use when appropriate context detected. Trigger with relevant phrases based on skill purpose.
Build reusable, production-ready Terraform modules with proper variable definitions, outputs, validation rules, documentation, and examples. Generate modules following HashiCorp's standard module structure for AWS, GCP, and Azure resources with security best practices, tagging conventions, and lifecycle management.
Prerequisites
Terraform 1.0+ installed (terraform version)
Cloud provider credentials configured for the target platform
Understanding of the infrastructure resources the module will manage
Familiarity with HCL syntax and Terraform module conventions
terraform-docs installed for automated documentation generation (optional)
Instructions
Define the module scope: determine which cloud resources the module manages and its input/output contract
Create the standard module file structure: main.tf, variables.tf, outputs.tf, versions.tf,
locals.tf
Write versions.tf with required_version and required_providers blocks pinned to stable versions
Define input variables in variables.tf with descriptions, types, defaults, and validation rules
Implement resources in main.tf using variables for all configurable values; use locals for computed values
Add meaningful outputs in outputs.tf for resource IDs, ARNs, endpoints, and connection strings
Example usage in examples/basic/main.tf with realistic variable values
Auto-generated README.md with inputs, outputs, and usage documentation
.terraform-docs.yml configuration for documentation generation
Optional: test files using Terratest or terraform test (HCL-based)
Error Handling
Error
Cause
Solution
variable validation failed
Input value does not meet validation rule
Check the validation block in variables.tf; adjust the value or the validation regex
provider not found
Missing or wrong provider source in versions.tf
Add the provider to required_providers with correct source and version constraint
circular dependency
Resources referencing each other in a loop
Refactor to break the cycle; use depends_on or separate into sub-modules
output references undeclared resource
Typo in resource name or resource removed
Verify resource names in main.tf match output references exactly
module source not found
Incorrect module path or registry reference
Verify the source path is relative (e.g., ./modules/vpc) or a valid registry address
Examples
"Build a Terraform module for an AWS VPC with configurable CIDR, public/private subnets across 3 AZs, NAT gateway, and flow logs."
"Create a GCP Cloud Run module with custom domain, IAM bindings, and auto-scaling configuration as input variables."
"Generate a Terraform module for an S3 bucket with versioning, encryption, lifecycle rules, and access logging, with all settings as optional variables with secure defaults."
