Question 1

What does terraform apply do?

Accepted Answer

Apply Terraform changes to provision or update infrastructure. terraform apply executes the changes shown by terraform plan. Without -auto-approve, it shows the plan and waits for confirmation. When passed a saved plan file, it applies exactly that plan. Changes are recorded in the state file.

Question 2

Is terraform apply dangerous?

Accepted Answer

HIGH risk. Creates, modifies, or destroys real infrastructure and may incur costs. Changes real infrastructure and can destroy resources — read every line marked “destroy” or “must be replaced”. Check the workspace and backend first (terraform workspace show); the wrong one targets the wrong environment. Never use -auto-approve outside throw-away environments or a CI job applying a reviewed plan.

Question 3

How can I use terraform apply more safely?

Accepted Answer

terraform plan -out=tfplan — Create a saved plan and review it. terraform apply tfplan — Apply exactly the plan you reviewed.

Flag	Meaning
`-auto-approve`	Skip interactive approval (for CI/CD)
`-target`	Apply only specific resources
`-var`	Set variable values
`-refresh=false`	Skip state refresh (faster, use with caution)