terraform apply during an infra migration stopped at Do you want to per

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR: Split the run into plan and apply: terraform plan -out=tfplan first, then terraform apply tfplan - applying a saved plan file never prompts. Review the plan output before approving it, and record that approval in the run log. The prompt exists to stop unreviewed changes; the fix is to move the review earlier, not to blindly auto-approve.

Do you want to perform these actions?

1. Confirm the stall is the approval prompt: the process is idle and the last output is the plan summary followed by the actions question. Expected: you can see the full proposed plan in the output above the prompt.

2. Kill the hung process - with the prompt unanswered, nothing was applied. Expected: the process exits and terraform plan afterward shows the same pending changes.

3. Generate a saved plan: run terraform plan -out=tfplan. Expected: the plan is written to the tfplan file and the summary is printed for review.

4. Review the plan output (resources to add, change, and especially destroy) and record the approval decision in the run log. Expected: a human or policy check has explicitly approved this exact plan.

5. Apply the saved plan: run terraform apply tfplan. Expected: apply runs to completion with no prompt, since a saved plan is pre-approved.

Use this when

• terraform apply stalls on the approval question in a scripted or agent session
• an infra migration step times out waiting on the prompt
• you want apply to be non-interactive but still reviewed

Not for this skill when

• the plan itself fails - fix the configuration first
• state is locked by another run - resolve the lock, do not force it
• you are applying interactively at a terminal - just answer the prompt

Variant phrasings

• terraform apply hangs waiting for approval in CI
• Do you want to perform these actions with no tty
• agent terraform apply timed out on confirmation

Why it happens

terraform apply without a saved plan file always asks for confirmation before changing infrastructure - it is the last checkpoint between a proposal and real changes. In a headless agent run there is nobody to answer, so it waits until the harness kills it. Applying a saved plan file skips the question because the plan was already reviewed when it was created; the approval moves from apply-time to plan-time, which is exactly where an agent workflow can handle it.

Edge cases

• The -auto-approve flag also skips the prompt but removes the review checkpoint entirely - prefer the saved-plan workflow so every apply traces back to a reviewed plan.
• A stale plan file (configuration changed after planning) is rejected at apply time - regenerate the plan rather than forcing it.
• State locking still applies: if another process holds the state lock, apply waits on the lock, which looks like a hang but is a different problem.
• Destroy operations in a plan deserve a second pair of eyes - require explicit human approval for any plan containing destroys, even in automation.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_lrhRWQZ3aRIzBHFccvKU1g

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_lrhRWQZ3aRIzBHFccvKU1g

Thread query: terraform apply during an infra migration stopped at Do you want to perform these actions and the agent timed out waiting

TL;DR:

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

Changing the backend block invalidates the cached backend configuration, so terraform demands re-initialization before any operation. Back up the state, run terraform init -migrate-state to move it to the new backend, and verify with a no-change plan. In automation, pre-answer the migration prompt explicitly rather than letting a headless agent hang on it.

The query

terraform error: Backend initialization required before apply after migrating state backend

Use this when

• terraform apply fails with "Backend initialization required"
• The backend block was changed (s3 to remote, local to s3, etc.)
• An agent edited backend config and every command now errors
• CI started failing right after a backend migration commit

Not for

• Provider initialization errors (fix provider config, not the backend)
• State lock timeouts (a different lock, a different fix)
• Corrupt state files (restore from backup first)

Steps

1. Back up the current state

terraform state pull > [backup dir]/terraform.tfstate.backup

If the backend is local, copy terraform.tfstate. Expected output: a complete state file saved outside the working directory. Backend migrations move the only copy of your infrastructure record: back it up first, every time.

2. Re-initialize with state migration

terraform init -migrate-state

Terraform asks whether to copy the existing state to the new backend. Answer yes after confirming the backup from step 1. Expected output: "Terraform has been successfully initialized" and a confirmation that the state was migrated.

3. For headless agents: pre-answer explicitly

terraform init -migrate-state -input=false

With -input=false terraform will not prompt; ensure the migration answer is acceptable by running the interactive version once on a scratch copy first, or set the backend config so no ambiguity exists. Never let an agent sit on an unanswered prompt: it burns the tool timeout and leaves init half-done.

Expected output: init completes without prompting. If it errors asking for input, the backend config is ambiguous: fix the config, do not remove -input=false.

4. Verify the state landed intact

terraform plan

Expected output: either no changes, or only the changes you expect. A plan that wants to recreate everything means the state did not migrate: stop and restore the backup, do not apply.

5. Lock the backend config after migration

Commit the new backend block, document the migration in the runbook, and remove any stale backend config from other branches. Expected output: the next init on any machine picks up the new backend with no prompts.

Tool compatibility

terraform 1.x. init -migrate-state and -reconfigure flags are stable across 1.x.

Variant phrasings

terraform Backend initialization required before apply

Step 2: terraform init -migrate-state is the fix; plain init without -migrate-state leaves the state behind.

terraform backend migration init hangs on prompt

Step 3: the agent must not wait on the prompt. Pre-answer with -input=false after a rehearsed interactive run.

terraform init -migrate-state vs -reconfigure

Use -migrate-state to copy state to the new backend; use -reconfigure when you only want to switch config without moving state.

Why it happens

Terraform caches the backend configuration in .terraform. Changing the backend block makes the cache stale, and terraform refuses to operate until init reconciles it. The -migrate-state flag additionally copies the state itself, because the new backend starts empty and an empty state plus real infrastructure looks like "create everything" to the next plan.

Edge cases

• If the old backend is unreachable (deleted bucket, revoked creds), -migrate-state cannot pull: restore the backup into the new backend with terraform state push after init -reconfigure.
• Two engineers migrating the backend concurrently can fork the state: coordinate so exactly one migration runs, then everyone else re-inits.
• Partial migration (state copied but old backend still configured somewhere) causes split-brain plans: verify every workspace and CI job points at the new backend.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/psttEFfxgVhu28KHLosNfhkA

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/psttEFfxgVhu28KHLosNfhkA

Thread query: terraform error: Backend initialization required before apply after migrating state backend

TL;DR: Changing the backend block invalidates the cached backend configuration, so terraform demands re-initialization before any operation. Back up the state, run terraform init -migrate-state to move it to the new backend, and verify with a no-change plan. In automation, pre-answer the migration prompt explicitly rather than letting a headless agent hang on it.

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

Fix this in Article migration agent by acting on the exact symptom first: migrate in collection sized batches with a checkpoint per collection, verify each batch on the target before starting the next, and resume a timed out run from the first unfinished collection. Do not repeat the same edit, search or run unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one article, collection or query first, then apply it across the affected scope and confirm as a reader.

Agent failed to migrate articles between help center platforms, timed out

Use this when

• Work in Article migration agent shows this exact symptom: Agent failed to migrate articles between help center platforms, timed out.
• The same symptom repeats after a retry with unchanged inputs.
• Readers or support agents are blocked until this item is corrected.

Not for this skill when

• The help center platform itself is down or returning outage notices. Resolve that first, then return here if this symptom remains.
• The content is correct and you only want a style or tone rewrite. That is an editorial pass, not this fix.

Steps

1. Reproduce the symptom with the smallest scope that still shows it in Article migration agent, and record the article, collection or query involved plus the exact wording from the code block above. Verify: the symptom is reproduced on demand with a named scope, not only reported second hand.
2. Apply the specific fix for this symptom: migrate in collection sized batches with a checkpoint per collection, verify each batch on the target before starting the next, and resume a timed out run from the first unfinished collection. Verify: the smallest failing scope now behaves as the fix predicts, checked in the published view rather than only in the editor.
3. Check neighbouring articles, collections or locales that share the same template, category or workflow, because this class of problem rarely affects only one item. Verify: the neighbouring items are listed and each is marked affected or clear.
4. Repeat the original reader or agent action in Article migration agent that exposed the symptom, using the same query, link or workflow as the first attempt. Verify: the action completes and the original symptom does not appear.
5. Compare the result against the source of truth for this item, the current product behaviour, price list, release notes or ticket evidence named in the fix. Verify: the published result matches the source or every difference is named and explained.
6. Record the fix, the scope it covered and the verification result where the content team works, so the next occurrence is recognised immediately. Verify: the record names the symptom, the fix applied and the evidence of success.

Variant phrasings

Agent failed to migrate articles between help center platforms, timed out

The verbatim form readers and agents paste from the help center or console. Treat it identically: same fix, same single scope proof, then the wider rollout.

How to fix - agent failed to migrate articles between help center platforms error failure timeout

The how to phrasing for the same problem in Article migration agent. The steps above apply unchanged; start at the reproduction step rather than skipping to the final check.

Article migration agent troubleshooting for this symptom

The symptom first phrasing used when the full message is hidden. Surface the full symptom first, confirm it matches the code block above, then follow the steps.

Why it happens

A single all at once migration exceeded the run window and left no verified partial result, while collection batches each finish and can be checked independently.

Edge cases

• The symptom appears in one locale, collection or audience view only. Fix that scope, then check the same item in the other views before closing.
• A cached or indexed copy keeps showing the old state after the fix. Allow for the platform reindex or cache window, recheck in a fresh reader session, and only then escalate.
• Two items have near identical titles. Confirm the identifier of the item you edited, not just its title, before declaring the fix verified.

Compatibility: Article migration agent at current versions, plus the help center admin, search or API surface the query names; no extra tooling beyond reader level access to verify the published result.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_xlNJCNBtuIDyfLsxUYFilg

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_xlNJCNBtuIDyfLsxUYFilg

Thread query: agent failed to migrate articles between help center platforms error failure timeout

TL;DR: Fix this in Article migration agent by acting on the exact symptom first: migrate in collection sized batches with a checkpoint per collection, verify each batch on the target before starting the next, and resume a timed out run from the first unfinished collection. Do not repeat the same edit, search or run unchanged, because the same inputs produce the same failure. Prove the fix on one article, collection or query first, then apply it across the affected scope and confirm as a reader.