Demo Creating a Workspace

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Create a new workspace (step-by-step)

1. In the HCP Terraform UI, open Workspaces on the left and click New → Workspace.
2. Choose a Project (use the Default Project if you don’t have another).
3. Select the CLI-driven workflow for this demo. This workflow lets you migrate and run existing Terraform locally first, and later switch to a VCS-driven workflow.
4. Set the workspace name to hcp-demo, optionally add a description (for example, “demo workspace for this demo”), and click Create.

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Workspace overview and initial state

• After creation, the workspace header shows the workspace name and workspace ID — useful when scripting or integrating with APIs.
• You can lock the workspace to prevent changes.
• A new workspace will show zero resources until you connect a configuration and execute runs.
• The workspace displays the Terraform version HCP Terraform will use; change it in settings if needed.

terraform login

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Use the Terraform cloud block to target the workspace

terraform {
  cloud {
    organization = "krausen-hcp"

    workspaces {
      name = "hcp-demo"
    }
  }
}

terraform init
terraform apply

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State and runs

• The workspace will show “waiting for configuration” until you connect a local configuration or VCS repository and execute runs.
• After the first successful apply, the workspace will record runs, states, tracked resources, and outputs.

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Variables and sensitive values

• Use Terraform variables for configuration values consumed by your .tf files.
• Use environment variables for provider credentials or other runtime secrets (for example: AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY, AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET).
• Mark values as Sensitive to ensure they are write-only in the UI.

1. Click Add Variable.
2. Choose Variable or Environment Variable.
3. Enter the key and value.
4. Toggle Sensitive if necessary, then Save.

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Execution mode and Terraform version

• Execution mode is set per workspace; remote execution (runs executed by HCP Terraform) is common.
• Enable Auto-apply to automatically apply plans after a successful plan run (use with caution).
• Select a Terraform version that matches your local environment to avoid incompatibilities. Choose a version available in the dropdown (for example, Terraform 0.12 or any 1.x release).

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Policies, run tasks, and other settings

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Version control (VCS) connections

• You can connect a workspace to a VCS repository to trigger runs from commits or pull requests.
• Until you connect a repository, the workspace will show Not Connected and provide a Connect to version control button.

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Destroying infrastructure and deleting a workspace

terraform plan -destroy -out=destroy.tfplan
terraform apply destroy.tfplan

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Resources Under Management (RUM) licensing

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Quick reference: common workspace settings

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Wrap-up

• Terraform Cloud / HCP Terraform docs
• Terraform CLI documentation