terraform refresh Command Reference

Reconcile state with the real world, the modern and safe way.

terraform refresh updates state to match real infrastructure. The standalone command is deprecated; the supported path is terraform apply -refresh-only, which lets you review drift before accepting it.

What it does

A refresh reads each managed resource from its provider and updates the recorded attributes in state without changing configuration, surfacing drift. The legacy terraform refresh applies those updates silently; terraform apply -refresh-only shows them and asks before writing.

Common flags and usage

-refresh-only: refresh mode for plan or apply (preferred over the standalone command)
-auto-approve: accept the state update without a prompt
-detailed-exitcode: with plan, exit 2 when drift is detected
-refresh=false: skip the implicit refresh when you have already refreshed

Example

shell

# Drift gate: exit 2 means drift was detected
terraform plan -refresh-only -input=false -detailed-exitcode

In CI

Replace deprecated terraform refresh with terraform apply -refresh-only -auto-approve, or gate on terraform plan -refresh-only -detailed-exitcode and alert instead of auto-accepting surprise drift.

Key takeaways

The standalone refresh is deprecated; use apply -refresh-only instead.
plan -refresh-only -detailed-exitcode returns 2 when drift exists.
Review drift before accepting it rather than silently overwriting state.