aztfexport

---
name: aztfexport
description: Use when exporting existing Azure resources to Terraform using aztfexport. Triggers on aztfexport, Azure import to Terraform, export Azure resource, bring Azure under Terraform management, reverse-engineer Azure infrastructure, bootstrap IaC from live Azure resources. Covers resource, resource-group, and query modes.
license: MIT
---

# aztfexport — Export Azure Resources to Terraform

## Overview

`aztfexport` is a Microsoft tool that exports existing Azure resources into Terraform HCL + state. It reverse-engineers live Azure infrastructure into Terraform configurations. Use this for Azure-only workflows or Terraform versions before 1.14's native `terraform query`.

## When to Use

- Export a single Azure resource to Terraform → `aztfexport resource`
- Export an entire resource group → `aztfexport resource-group`
- Export resources matching an Azure Resource Graph query → `aztfexport query`
- Bootstrapping IaC from existing Azure infrastructure

**Use `terraform-search-import` skill instead when:** Terraform >= 1.14 with `terraform query` + bulk import (multi-cloud, not Azure-specific).

## Prerequisites

1. **aztfexport installed:** `brew install aztfexport` (macOS) or see [GitHub releases](https://github.com/Azure/aztfexport/releases)
2. **Azure CLI authenticated:** `az login` + correct subscription selected
3. **Architecture check (critical on macOS):**
   ```bash
   file $(which aztfexport)  # Check binary arch
   uname -m                  # Check system arch
   ```
   If mismatch (e.g., x86_64 binary on arm64 Mac), reinstall the correct architecture version.

## Workflow

### Step 1: Discover the Resource ID

Use Azure CLI to find the resource ID. See `references/RESOURCE-DISCOVERY.md` for patterns by resource type.

**Generic fallback:**
```bash
az resource list --query "[?name=='RESOURCE_NAME']" -o table
```

### Step 2: Validate aztfexport Binary

```bash
file $(which aztfexport)
uname -m
aztfexport --version
```

Architecture mismatch causes cryptic failures. Always verify before first use on a new machine.

### Step 3: Run aztfexport

**Single resource:**
```bash
aztfexport resource \
  --non-interactive \
  --plain-ui \
  -o ./terraform-export \
  "/subscriptions/SUB_ID/resourceGroups/RG/providers/TYPE/NAME"
```

**Resource group:**
```bash
aztfexport resource-group \
  --non-interactive \
  --plain-ui \
  -o ./terraform-export \
  RESOURCE_GROUP_NAME
```

**Azure Resource Graph query:**
```bash
aztfexport query \
  --non-interactive \
  --plain-ui \
  -o ./terraform-export \
  "resources | where name == 'MY_RESOURCE'"
```

### Step 4: Review Generated Files

```bash
ls ./terraform-export/
# Expect: main.tf, provider.tf, terraform.tfstate, import.tf (sometimes)
```

- `main.tf` — generated HCL with `res-0` style resource names
- `provider.tf` — AzureRM provider configuration
- `terraform.tfstate` — imported state file
- Consider renaming `res-0` to descriptive names (update both HCL and state)

### Step 5: Verify

```bash
cd ./terraform-export
terraform init
terraform plan
```

A clean plan (no changes) confirms successful export. Minor diffs may appear for computed attributes — review and suppress with `lifecycle { ignore_changes }` if appropriate.

## Critical Flags

| Flag | Purpose | When Required |
|------|---------|---------------|
| `--non-interactive` | Skip interactive prompts | Always in CI/headless/Claude |
| `--plain-ui` | Disable TUI (terminal UI) | **Always pair with `--non-interactive`** — without it, fails when no `/dev/tty` |
| `-o <dir>` | Output directory | Always (must be empty or non-existent) |
| `--append` | Append to existing Terraform dir | When adding to existing config (but see gotcha below) |
| `--overwrite` | Overwrite existing files | When re-exporting to same directory |
| `--hcl-only` | Generate HCL without importing state | When you only need the code |

## Gotchas & Troubleshooting

| Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---------|-------|----------|
| Binary crashes silently or `exec format error` | Architecture mismatch (x86 on ARM Mac) | Run `file $(which aztfexport)` + `uname -m`, reinstall correct arch |
| `--non-interactive` alone fails | No `/dev/tty` in headless environments | Always pair with `--plain-ui` |
| "directory is not empty" error | Output dir has files | Use `-o <fresh-dir>` or `--overwrite` |
| `--append` fails on non-empty dir without state | aztfexport expects existing Terraform state | Use `-o` to a fresh subdirectory instead |
| Can't find Azure resource ID | Resource type unknown or wrong API | Try multiple `az` commands — see RESOURCE-DISCOVERY.md |
| `res-0` style names in output | Default aztfexport naming | Rename post-export in both HCL and state |
| `terraform plan` shows diffs after export | Computed/server-side attributes | Review diffs — use `ignore_changes` for benign ones |

## Example: Export an Activity Log Alert

```bash
# Step 1: Find the resource ID
az monitor activity-log alert list -g myResourceGroup \
  --query "[?name=='my-alert'].id" -o tsv

# Step 2: Export
aztfexport resource \
  --non-interactive \
  --plain-ui \
  -o ./alert-export \
  "/subscriptions/xxxx/resourceGroups/myRG/providers/Microsoft.Insights/activityLogAlerts/my-alert"

# Step 3: Verify
cd ./alert-export
terraform init
terraform plan
```

---

## Gotchas

- **Architecture mismatch** between the aztfexport binary and the AzureRM provider's CGO bindings — Apple Silicon needs ARM64 build, x86 binary on M-series silently degrades.
- **Resource-name regex defaults exclude special chars** — resources with `.` in the name (FQDNs, etc.) are skipped silently.
- **Generated `import` blocks (Terraform 1.5+) vs `state import` commands** — aztfexport now writes blocks; older workflows expecting state-import calls break.
- **`--include-role-assignment` is OFF by default** — RBAC is left out of state, which is usually exactly what you don't want.
- **Provider version pinning**: aztfexport pins to specific AzureRM versions in its imports; mismatched provider in your target stack causes spurious plan diffs.
- **Non-interactive (`-n`) skips name customization** — auto-generated TF names like `azurerm_storage_account_001` end up in your code permanently if not reviewed.