Stop Refactoring Terraform Later: Start With This File Layout

Starting a new Terraform project is easy until the repo grows and you realize the layout is fighting you. If you want a structure that scales (and stays readable for teammates), the key is separating concerns early and standardizing how you manage variables, state, and reusable modules.

In the full guide, we cover:

• The core Terraform files most teams standardize on (resources, variables, outputs, providers, and env-specific values)
• How to avoid a “main.tf monolith” by splitting configurations in a way that matches how you operate
• Multi-environment patterns using .tfvars and safer workflows to reduce “wrong env” mistakes
• What Terraform generates during init/plan/apply (and what should/shouldn’t be committed)
• How modules change the structure and how to keep module usage maintainable as complexity grows

➡️ Read the full article on our blog:

https://spacelift.io/blog/terraform-files

Comments

[lostinopensource]

Great Article thanks!