Error: Cycle

Fix terraform "Error: Cycle" (circular dependency)

TL;DR: Two or more resources depend on each other in a circle, so terraform cannot pick an order to create them. Read the cycle chain in the error, find the reference that closes the loop, and break it: split the cross-referencing bits into separate resources (the classic is splitting security group rules out of security groups), use a data source, or pass a plain value instead of a computed attribute.

The error

Error: Cycle: aws_security_group.web, aws_security_group.db

Steps

1. Read the chain. Error: Cycle: A, B means A references B and B references A. Find both references in your config.

2. For the classic security-group pair, move the rules out of the groups:

   resource "aws_security_group" "web" {
     name   = "web-sg"
     vpc_id = var.vpc_id
   }
   
   resource "aws_security_group" "db" {
     name   = "db-sg"
     vpc_id = var.vpc_id
   }
   
   resource "aws_security_group_rule" "web_to_db" {
     type                     = "ingress"
     from_port                = 3306
     to_port                  = 3306
     protocol                 = "tcp"
     security_group_id        = aws_security_group.db.id
     source_security_group_id = aws_security_group.web.id
   }

3. For module cycles (module.a needs module.b's output and vice versa), pass a shared plain value into both instead of chaining outputs, or move the shared resource up to the root module.
4. Run terraform validate. Expected: Success! The configuration is valid.

When this applies

• plan or validate fails with Error: Cycle: followed by a chain of resources or modules.
• You see it after wiring two resources to reference each other's attributes.

When it does NOT apply

• Errors about a resource depending on itself through depends_on. That is a self-reference, a different (simpler) fix: remove the redundant depends_on.
• Error: Cycle inside a for expression or local value. Same principle, but the loop is in expression logic, not resource ordering.

Tool and version compatibility

• Terraform CLI 0.12+ through 1.x. Graph behavior unchanged across versions.

Why it happens

Terraform builds a dependency graph and creates resources in topological order. A cycle makes ordering impossible, so it refuses to plan at all rather than guess. References create edges automatically; the cycle is always a real circle in your references, never a terraform bug.

Edge cases and pitfalls

• terraform graph | dot -Tpng > graph.png draws the dependency graph so you can see the loop visually.
• Data sources can break cycles only when the data is knowable without the resource existing. A data source that reads the resource you are creating re-creates the cycle.
• Avoid depends_on between whole modules. It creates coarse edges that invite cycles; prefer passing specific values.
• Sometimes the cycle is fake: two resources reference each other but only one reference is load-bearing. Deleting the unnecessary one fixes it in one line.