MCP Directory

How to add tfmcp to Claude Desktop

Terraform MCP server letting AI assistants read, plan, apply, analyze, and manage Terraform infrastructure. Paste the config into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json and restart Claude Desktop.

Last updated June 14, 2026 · 369★ · stdio · no auth

Claude Desktop config for tfmcp

cargo install tfmcp
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tfmcp": {
      "command": "/path/to/your/tfmcp",
      "args": [
        "mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "HOME": "/Users/yourusername",
        "PATH": "/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin",
        "TERRAFORM_DIR": "/path/to/your/terraform/project"
      }
    }
  }
}

Setup steps

  1. 1Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config (this opens ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json).
  2. 2Paste the tfmcp config below under the top-level "mcpServers" key.
  3. 3Fill in any placeholder secrets (API keys, paths) in the snippet.
  4. 4Save the file, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.
  5. 5Open a chat and confirm tfmcp's tools appear under the 🔌 tools menu.

Before you start

  • Rust (edition 2021; v0.1.9 requires Rust 1.85.0+ / Edition 2024)
  • Terraform CLI installed and available in PATH
  • Claude Desktop (for AI assistant integration)
  • Docker (optional, for containerized deployment)

What tfmcp can do in Claude Desktop

init_terraform

Initialize Terraform working directory.

get_terraform_plan

Generate and show execution plan.

analyze_plan

Analyze plan with risk scoring and recommendations.

apply_terraform

Apply Terraform configuration.

destroy_terraform

Destroy Terraform-managed infrastructure.

validate_terraform

Validate configuration syntax.

validate_terraform_detailed

Detailed validation with guidelines.

get_terraform_state

Show current state.

Security

Dangerous operations (apply/destroy) are disabled by default and must be explicitly enabled via TFMCP_ALLOW_DANGEROUS_OPS=true. Auto-approve is off by default (TFMCP_ALLOW_AUTO_APPROVE). Resource count is capped (TFMCP_MAX_RESOURCES, default 50). Built-in access controls block prod*, production*, and secret* file patterns. Audit logging is enabled by default and written to ~/.tfmcp/audit.log. Always review AI-generated Terraform plans before applying, and apply appropriate IAM boundaries in cloud environments.

tfmcp + Claude Desktop FAQ

Where is the Claude Desktop config file?

Claude Desktop reads MCP servers from ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. Paste the tfmcp config there under the "mcpServers" key and restart the client.

Is tfmcp safe to use with Claude Desktop?

Dangerous operations (apply/destroy) are disabled by default and must be explicitly enabled via TFMCP_ALLOW_DANGEROUS_OPS=true. Auto-approve is off by default (TFMCP_ALLOW_AUTO_APPROVE). Resource count is capped (TFMCP_MAX_RESOURCES, default 50). Built-in access controls block prod*, production*, and secret* file patterns. Audit logging is enabled by default and written to ~/.tfmcp/audit.log. Always review AI-generated Terraform plans before applying, and apply appropriate IAM boundaries in cloud environments.

Is tfmcp an official Terraform/HashiCorp product?

No. It is an independent open-source project by nwiizo, licensed under MIT. The README notes it is experimental and under active development.

How do I connect tfmcp to Claude Desktop?

Install it (`cargo install tfmcp`), find the binary path with `which tfmcp`, then add an mcpServers entry to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json with command set to the tfmcp path and args set to ["mcp"]. Restart Claude Desktop and enable the tool.

Are apply and destroy operations safe?

By default they are disabled. You must set TFMCP_ALLOW_DANGEROUS_OPS=true to enable them, and TFMCP_ALLOW_AUTO_APPROVE remains false unless explicitly enabled. tfmcp also caps resource counts and blocks sensitive file patterns.

View repo Full tfmcp page