How to avoid writing bad Terraform code

Terraform is powerful, but if your code isn’t clean, your infrastructure won’t be either.

Here are 4 best practices I follow to keep my Terraform projects clean and scalable:

1. DRY principle
- Don’t repeat yourself.
- Use variables and modules instead of copy-pasting resources.

2. Consistent naming and tagging
- Clear naming and proper tags make management, reporting, and troubleshooting easier.

3. Organized file structure
- Separate files like main.tf, variables.tf, and outputs.tf to keep things clear and manageable.

4. Cost awareness
- Build with budget in mind.
- Use tagging, right-size resources and clean up anything you’re no longer using.

Clean Terraform code isn’t just about neat files, it’s about creating reliable, scalable infrastructure your team can trust.

What’s one Terraform practice you always follow?