terraform/website/source/docs/state/index.html.md

---
layout: "docs"
page_title: "State"
sidebar_current: "docs-state"
description: |-
  Terraform stores state which caches the known state of the world the last time Terraform ran.
---

# State

Terraform stores the state of your managed infrastructure from the last
time Terraform was run. By default this state is stored in a local file
named "terraform.tfstate", but it can also be stored remotely, which works
better in a team environment.

Terraform uses this local state to create plans and make changes to your
infrastructure. Prior to any operation, Terraform does a
[refresh](/docs/commands/refresh.html) to update the state with the
real infrastructure.

-> **Note:** Terraform currently requires the state to exist after Terraform
has been run. Technically,
at some point in the future, Terraform should be able to populate the local
state file with the real infrastructure if the file didn't exist. But currently,
Terraform state is a mixture of both a cache and required configuration and
isn't optional.

## Inspection and Modification

While the format of the state files are just JSON, direct file editing
of the state is discouraged. Terraform provides the
[terraform state](/docs/commands/state/index.html) command to perform
basic modifications of the state using the CLI.

The CLI usage and output of the state commands is structured to be
friendly for Unix tools such as grep, awk, etc. Additionally, the CLI
insulates users from any format changes within the state itself. The Terraform
project will keep the CLI working while the state format underneath it may
shift.

Finally, the CLI manages backups for you automatically. If you make a mistake
modifying your state, the state CLI will always have a backup available for
you that you can restore.

## Format

The state is in JSON format and Terraform will promise backwards compatibility
with the state file. The JSON format makes it easy to write tools around the
state if you want or to modify it by hand in the case of a Terraform bug.
The "version" field on the state contents allows us to transparently move
the format forward if we make modifications.