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Run Acceptance Tests

HashiCorpOfficialPublished by HashiCorp

  • Skill
  • Guidelines
  • Cloud and DevOps
  • MPL-2.0
  • No issues found
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From the author

Guide for running acceptance tests for a Terraform provider. Use this when asked to run an acceptance test or to run a test with the prefix `TestAcc`, when a test fails with missing environment variables, or when diagnosing a failing or suspiciously passing acceptance test.
— the description by HashiCorp

AutoGineer summary

Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author

This skill provides a structured approach to running, debugging, and validating Terraform provider acceptance tests. Because these tests interact with real cloud infrastructure, the guide emphasizes safety, credential management, and the specific Go test configurations required to handle long-running operations and environment-specific dependencies.

What it does

  • Provides the command syntax for running specific TestAcc functions.
  • Outlines methods to identify required environment variables for provider tests.
  • Details a tiered approach to debugging failing tests using verbose output and debug logging.
  • Explains how to verify test integrity by performing a test flip.
  • Advises on managing infrastructure persistence and cleanup after test execution.

When to use it

  • When you need to execute a specific Terraform provider acceptance test.
  • When a test fails due to missing environment variables or configuration issues.
  • When you need to diagnose why an acceptance test is failing.
  • When you need to verify that a passing test is not a false positive.

Advantages

  • Prevents accidental infrastructure costs by emphasizing credential verification.
  • Provides a systematic, cumulative debugging process for complex test failures.
  • Ensures tests are not falsely passing through the test flip verification method.
  • Promotes secure handling of secrets by avoiding shell profile exports.

Usage examples

“How do I run the TestAccResourceCreate test?”
The agent provides the command: TF_ACC=1 go test -run=TestAccResourceCreate -timeout 60m, while reminding you to verify your test account credentials first.
“My acceptance test is failing, how can I debug it?”
The agent guides you through a cumulative debugging process: first using -count=1 to bypass cache, then adding -v for verbosity, and finally enabling TF_LOG=debug.

Install

  1. Download the skill as a ZIP:

    https://autogineer.com/agent-skills/hashicorp/run-acceptance-tests/download

  2. Unzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:

    mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip run-acceptance-tests.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by HashiCorp

An acceptance test is a Go test function with the prefix TestAcc.

Before running: acceptance tests create real infrastructure against the provider's live API, which may incur cost. Confirm the configured credentials point at a test account before proceeding.

To run a focused acceptance test named TestAccFeatureHappyPath:

  1. Run go test -run=TestAccFeatureHappyPath -timeout 60m with the following environment variables:

    • TF_ACC=1

    Default to non-verbose test output. Always pass an explicit -timeout: go test kills any test run after 10 minutes by default, and acceptance tests routinely exceed that.

  2. The acceptance tests may require additional environment variables for specific providers. To discover which ones:

    • Read the test's PreCheck / testAccPreCheck function and search the test files: grep -rn "os.Getenv" --include="*_test.go".

    • Check the repository's README, CONTRIBUTING, or .env.example for documented test setup.

    • The provider's Configure method shows how credentials are resolved; use the provider-configuration skill (if available) to understand a credential provider chain.

    Set the variables for the single test invocation (EXAMPLE_API_KEY=... TF_ACC=1 go test ...) rather than exporting them into the shell profile, and never write secret values into files inside the repository.

To diagnose a failing acceptance test, use these options, in order. These options are cumulative: each option includes all the options above it.

  1. Run the test again. Use the -count=1 option to ensure that go test does not use a cached result.

  2. Offer verbose go test output. Use the -v option.

  3. Offer debug-level logging. Enable debug-level logging with the environment variable TF_LOG=debug.

  4. Offer to persist the acceptance test's Terraform workspace. Enable persistence with the environment variable TF_ACC_WORKING_DIR_PERSIST=1.

A passing acceptance test may be a false negative. To "flip" a passing acceptance test named TestAccFeatureHappyPath:

  1. Edit the value of one of the TestCheckFuncs in one of the TestSteps in the TestCase.

  2. Run the acceptance test. Expect the test to fail.

  3. If the test fails, then undo the edit and report a successful flip. Else, keep the edit and report an unsuccessful flip.

If a test run is interrupted, real resources may be left behind; run the provider's sweepers if it registers them (see the provider-test-patterns skill's sweeper reference, if available). For writing or restructuring tests, use the provider-test-patterns skill.

Files

SKILL.md

An acceptance test is a Go test function with the prefix TestAcc.

Before running: acceptance tests create real infrastructure against the provider's live API, which may incur cost. Confirm the configured credentials point at a test account before proceeding.

To run a focused acceptance test named TestAccFeatureHappyPath:

  1. Run go test -run=TestAccFeatureHappyPath -timeout 60m with the following environment variables:

    • TF_ACC=1

    Default to non-verbose test output. Always pass an explicit -timeout: go test kills any test run after 10 minutes by default, and acceptance tests routinely exceed that.

  2. The acceptance tests may require additional environment variables for specific providers. To discover which ones:

    • Read the test's PreCheck / testAccPreCheck function and search the test files: grep -rn "os.Getenv" --include="*_test.go".

    • Check the repository's README, CONTRIBUTING, or .env.example for documented test setup.

    • The provider's Configure method shows how credentials are resolved; use the provider-configuration skill (if available) to understand a credential provider chain.

    Set the variables for the single test invocation (EXAMPLE_API_KEY=... TF_ACC=1 go test ...) rather than exporting them into the shell profile, and never write secret values into files inside the repository.

To diagnose a failing acceptance test, use these options, in order. These options are cumulative: each option includes all the options above it.

  1. Run the test again. Use the -count=1 option to ensure that go test does not use a cached result.

  2. Offer verbose go test output. Use the -v option.

  3. Offer debug-level logging. Enable debug-level logging with the environment variable TF_LOG=debug.

  4. Offer to persist the acceptance test's Terraform workspace. Enable persistence with the environment variable TF_ACC_WORKING_DIR_PERSIST=1.

A passing acceptance test may be a false negative. To "flip" a passing acceptance test named TestAccFeatureHappyPath:

  1. Edit the value of one of the TestCheckFuncs in one of the TestSteps in the TestCase.

  2. Run the acceptance test. Expect the test to fail.

  3. If the test fails, then undo the edit and report a successful flip. Else, keep the edit and report an unsuccessful flip.

If a test run is interrupted, real resources may be left behind; run the provider's sweepers if it registers them (see the provider-test-patterns skill's sweeper reference, if available). For writing or restructuring tests, use the provider-test-patterns skill.

Requirements and compatibility

Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta

“Works with” means the tool reads the open Agent Skills format; a skill written for one tool may use features others lack.

Needs: Needs an API key

Security

No issues found by our static scan· No issues found

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Attribution and licence

Published by
HashiCorp
Publisher
HashiCorp (Official)
Source
hashicorp/agent-skills · plugins/terraform/skills/run-acceptance-tests · commit 5e30fa5
Licence
Mozilla Public License 2.0 (redistribution allowed)
  • LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from LICENSE)
  • ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
Synced

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Download ZIP

The ZIP holds the skill’s files, its licence files and an ATTRIBUTION.md. Download run-acceptance-tests.zip