Skip to main content
Welcome to this step-by-step demo. You’ll create a new HCP Terraform (Terraform Cloud) account, verify your email, configure basic account settings, create an organization, and prepare a workspace connected to version control. This guide keeps the original flow and screenshots for a clear, reproducible setup.

​
1) Create your Terraform account

  1. Open your browser to https://app.terraform.io and click Create Account at the bottom of the sign-in page.
  2. Provide a username, email address, and password. Accept the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, then click Create Account.
A screenshot of the HCP Terraform sign-in page with a central login box asking for email or username, a blue "Continue" button, and an option to "Sign in with SSO" or create an account. The page is shown inside a browser window with the app.terraform.io URL.
  1. Confirm your email address: open the confirmation email and click the verification link. After verifying, refresh the Terraform web UI — your account will be active.

​
2) Configure your profile and API tokens

Once logged in you can immediately update profile details and security settings:
  • Add an avatar and display name.
  • Manage active sessions and change your password.
  • Enable two-factor authentication (2FA).
  • Generate API tokens for automation.
A screenshot of the HCP Terraform account settings page open to "Tokens," showing explanatory text and buttons to create an API token or a GitHub App OAuth token. A left sidebar lists other account settings like Profile, Sessions, Password, and Two-Factor Authentication.

​
3) Create an organization

Organizations let you group work around teams, projects, and access controls.
  1. In the header, choose HCP Terraform (your account menu) and click Create new organization.
  2. For personal usage, select Personal, give the organization a name (e.g., “Krausen HCP”), verify the contact email, and create the organization.
A screenshot of the "Create a new organization" page in the Terraform web app. It shows two option cards — "Business" and "Personal" — with brief descriptions and a Cancel button.
After creation, the left navigation menu exposes Projects, Stacks, Workspaces, Registry, Usage, and Settings. Use Settings to find organization metadata such as the org ID (often requested by support) and to configure integrations.
A browser screenshot of the HCP Terraform "Create a new Workspace" page showing workflow choices (Version Control, CLI-Driven, API-Driven) and a left navigation sidebar with Projects, Stacks, Workspaces, Registry, and Settings. The page explains workspace organization and lets you choose a workflow.

​
4) Organization settings—what you can configure

Use the organization Settings area to manage integrations, security, and collaboration features. The following table summarizes common configuration areas:
A screenshot of the Terraform web UI showing the "API Tokens" settings page with tabs for Organization, Team, User, and Audit tokens. The "User Tokens" section is selected, showing a checkbox to allow members to access organization resources and an "Update settings" button.
Keep API tokens confidential. Use the least-privilege token type appropriate for your automation (organization, team, or user) and rotate tokens regularly.

​
5) Authentication and security policies

From Settings → Authentication you can configure organization-wide policies:
  • Session timeouts (idle timeout).
  • Forced re-authentication after a period.
  • Require two-factor authentication (2FA) for members.
  • Enforce SSO or configure SSH access.
A screenshot of the Terraform Cloud organization settings on the "Authentication" page showing "User Sessions" options like Idle Session Timeout and Forced Re-Authentication. The left sidebar navigation with settings sections (e.g., API tokens, SSH keys) is also visible.

​
6) Add a VCS provider for automated runs

Connect a version control system (VCS) so workspaces can link to repositories and trigger runs automatically when code changes are pushed. Supported providers include: You can add VCS providers from Organization Settings or during workspace creation.
A screenshot of the Terraform Cloud "VCS Providers" settings page showing no version control providers configured, with a prominent "Add a VCS provider" button. The left sidebar lists other settings like Integrations, Security, and Version Control.

​
7) Create a workspace

Workspaces are where Terraform runs occur. You can create:
  • Version Control–driven workspaces (recommended) — connect to a repo to trigger runs on commits.
  • CLI-driven workspaces — trigger runs from your local machine using terraform CLI.
  • API-driven workspaces — start runs programmatically via the REST API.
Create a workspace, connect it to your VCS, configure variables and secrets, and then begin running Terraform plans and applies.
A screenshot of the HashiCorp Terraform Cloud web UI on the "Workspaces" page, showing no existing workspaces and a prominent "Create a workspace" prompt and button. The left sidebar navigation lists items like Projects, Stacks, Workspaces, Registry, Usage, and Settings.

​
Quick checklist — post-setup

  • Confirm email and log in.
  • Configure 2FA and session policies.
  • Generate and securely store API tokens.
  • Add a VCS provider and connect a repository.
  • Create a workspace and test a simple plan/apply.
That’s it for this demo. You now have a working HCP Terraform account and organization and can create workspaces to run Terraform.

Watch Video