COPILOTTerraform & OpenTofu IaC GitHub Copilot Instructions
Generate .github/copilot-instructions.md repository rules for Terraform & OpenTofu IaC. GitHub Copilot adds .github/copilot-instructions.md to Copilot Chat, code review and coding agent requests in the repository. Writing down the Terraform & OpenTofu IaC conventions there means Copilot's answers and reviews follow your project's patterns instead of generic ones.
.github/copilot-instructions.mdWhat this file changes for Terraform & OpenTofu IaC
GitHub Copilot adds .github/copilot-instructions.md to Copilot Chat, code review and coding agent requests in the repository. Writing down the Terraform & OpenTofu IaC conventions there means Copilot's answers and reviews follow your project's patterns instead of generic ones.
Terraform & OpenTofu IaC: code to avoid and code to write instead
# Dangerous: Hardcoded secret, no version lock, unmanaged state
resource "aws_db_instance" "bad_db" {
engine = "postgres"
password = "plaintextpassword123" # Leaked credentials in git!
}terraform {
required_version = ">= 1.7.0"
required_providers {
aws = {
source = "hashicorp/aws"
version = "~> 5.40"
}
}
backend "s3" {
bucket = "corp-tf-state-prod"
key = "vpc/terraform.tfstate"
region = "us-east-1"
dynamodb_table = "terraform-locks"
encrypt = true
}
}
resource "aws_db_instance" "primary" {
identifier = "app-db-prod"
allocated_storage = 50
engine = "postgres"
instance_class = "db.r6g.large"
password = var.db_password
skip_final_snapshot = false
lifecycle {
prevent_destroy = true
}
}How to Install Terraform & OpenTofu IaC GitHub Copilot Instructions via Terminal
Step 1: Open Project Directory & Verify Target Placement
Open your terminal and navigate to your project root folder where the .github/copilot-instructions.md file will reside. Ensure the file is placed at the exact path below relative to your project root so the AI engine automatically loads it:
Step 2: Fetch Rule File via Terminal Command
Run curl, PowerShell, or wget to stream the rule directly from the DevScratchpad raw API endpoint and write it to .github/copilot-instructions.md:
Terminal One-Liner Install
Run directly in your project root to stream and write this rule file with one command.
mkdir -p ".github" && curl -fsSL "https://www.devscratchpad.tech/api/raw/copilot-instructions/terraform-iac" -o ".github/copilot-instructions.md"Step 3: Check that Copilot Chat, code review, coding agent uses it
Copilot Chat, Copilot code review and the coding agent add the file to requests in this repository. It does not change completions as you type.
GitHub Copilot instructions generator: .github/copilot-instructions.md
GitHub Copilot Instructions: how it works, where the file goes, and every Copilot preset.
Tools for Terraform & OpenTofu IaC work
Browser-based utilities to test, format and inspect the code your AI tool writes. Nothing you paste is uploaded.
YAML to JSON / JSON to YAML Converter
Bidirectional YAML and JSON conversion with syntax validation.
Cron Expression Visualizer
Translates complex cron schedules into plain English with a 5-column breakdown grid.
CIDR Calculator & Subnet Inspector
Calculate IPv4 subnet masks, broadcast addresses, and usable ranges.
Base64 / Hex / Binary Multi-Inspector & Image Previewer
Auto-detects Base64, URL-safe Base64, Hex, Binary, URL-encoded, and Data URL input and converts it to every format, plus a Canonical Hex Dump.
Live Repository & Schema Ingestion
Inspect any public or private GitHub repository, or paste SQL DDL and Prisma models directly in AI Skill Studio to auto-generate authentic rules. Zero server transmission.
Migrating from Legacy .cursorrules or CLAUDE.md?
Use the free, in-browser converter to turn one long rules file into Cursor .mdc, Claude SKILL.md or Windsurf rules.
Technical FAQ: Terraform & OpenTofu IaC AI Rulebooks
Where should this Copilot instruction file be stored?
Save it as .github/copilot-instructions.md in your repository. Copilot Chat, Copilot code review and the Copilot coding agent use it; completions as you type do not.
Does this apply to all team members?
Yes. Once the file is on the default branch, Copilot uses it for everyone working in the repository.