tofu destroy removes everything OpenTofu created for a project, and nothing else. This guide shows how to remove OpenTofu resources safely: preview what will go, run tofu destroy, and know what stays behind.
It’s a companion to Part 2 of the OpenTofu Tutorial, which ends with tofu destroy.
Cost: free. Everything here runs on your own computer.
Every command and output on this page is real, run on OpenTofu 1.13 on macOS. The commands are the same in Windows PowerShell and on Linux.
Prerequisites
- OpenTofu installed: How to Install OpenTofu on macOS.
- A project with something to remove. This guide uses two pages, created with
tofu initandtofu apply:
resource "local_file" "home_page" {
filename = "index.html"
content = "<h1>Bookshop</h1>"
}
resource "local_file" "about_page" {
filename = "about.html"
content = "<h1>About the Bookshop</h1>"
}
Step 1: Preview What Will Be Removed
Before deleting anything, ask OpenTofu what a destroy would do. This changes nothing:
tofu plan -destroy
local_file.home_page: Refreshing state... [id=c0b605bc039c5f97ef612cd50f8e285306aea74f]
local_file.about_page: Refreshing state... [id=37072a8b03ae68359fb9608d01f10e68800dedc0]
OpenTofu used the selected providers to generate the following execution plan.
Resource actions are indicated with the following symbols:
- destroy
OpenTofu will perform the following actions:
# local_file.about_page will be destroyed
- resource "local_file" "about_page" {
- content = "<h1>About the Bookshop</h1>" -> null
- content_base64sha256 = "AtnpxxT0SXkYHAAmx8q1H5fdR91vlTgElaSACvdrJJg=" -> null
- content_base64sha512 = "6IpY/ggFpkKX1emhDe1Ernw3aQp3koTWIfWwcmu9dBx9xX/EPFdt05/gKfhBO6ZdP9SZ7jUCvfKR38c4PH/Wgw==" -> null
- content_md5 = "34d1e0e98e3886e127a5e573d18f1007" -> null
- content_sha1 = "37072a8b03ae68359fb9608d01f10e68800dedc0" -> null
- content_sha256 = "02d9e9c714f44979181c0026c7cab51f97dd47dd6f95380495a4800af76b2498" -> null
- content_sha512 = "e88a58fe0805a64297d5e9a10ded44ae7c37690a779284d621f5b0726bbd741c7dc57fc43c576dd39fe029f8413ba65d3fd499ee3502bdf291dfc7383c7fd683" -> null
- directory_permission = "0777" -> null
- file_permission = "0777" -> null
- filename = "about.html" -> null
- id = "37072a8b03ae68359fb9608d01f10e68800dedc0" -> null
}
# local_file.home_page will be destroyed
- resource "local_file" "home_page" {
- content = "<h1>Bookshop</h1>" -> null
- content_base64sha256 = "+5sTgVHJocmrr02gbEGM4VmZc6Dc2n0A0CHFa1Kr2js=" -> null
- content_base64sha512 = "geSAoyg3EZpsjVqNqLLJOy38aTEed/kD6zxHGHWSx/sbGZgWxo2NPAuI+sdB3FGlL2UQHlLzH5cZ99r3gqaZQA==" -> null
- content_md5 = "d9c651a380dd05647dd51dd41330682d" -> null
- content_sha1 = "c0b605bc039c5f97ef612cd50f8e285306aea74f" -> null
- content_sha256 = "fb9b138151c9a1c9abaf4da06c418ce1599973a0dcda7d00d021c56b52abda3b" -> null
- content_sha512 = "81e480a32837119a6c8d5a8da8b2c93b2dfc69311e77f903eb3c47187592c7fb1b199816c68d8d3c0b88fac741dc51a52f65101e52f31f9719f7daf782a69940" -> null
- directory_permission = "0777" -> null
- file_permission = "0777" -> null
- filename = "index.html" -> null
- id = "c0b605bc039c5f97ef612cd50f8e285306aea74f" -> null
}
Plan: 0 to add, 0 to change, 2 to destroy.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Note: You didn't use the -out option to save this plan, so OpenTofu can't
guarantee to take exactly these actions if you run "tofu apply" now.
Every block starts with -, which means destroy, and the summary says 2 to destroy. If the list holds anything you want to keep, stop here.
Step 2: Run tofu destroy
tofu destroy
It prints the same plan as Step 1, then asks before it deletes anything. Type yes. Here’s the output from the summary line on:
Plan: 0 to add, 0 to change, 2 to destroy.
Do you really want to destroy all resources?
OpenTofu will destroy all your managed infrastructure, as shown above.
There is no undo. Only 'yes' will be accepted to confirm.
Enter a value: yes
local_file.about_page: Destroying... [id=37072a8b03ae68359fb9608d01f10e68800dedc0]
local_file.home_page: Destroying... [id=c0b605bc039c5f97ef612cd50f8e285306aea74f]
local_file.about_page: Destruction complete after 0s
local_file.home_page: Destruction complete after 0s
Destroy complete! Resources: 2 destroyed.
Read the warning: There is no undo. Only the full word yes goes ahead; anything else cancels. Destroy complete! means both pages are gone.
What Stays Behind
- Your configuration.
main.tfis untouched, sotofu applycan build everything again. - The state files.
terraform.tfstatenow lists no resources, andterraform.tfstate.backupholds the state from before the destroy. - Anything OpenTofu didn’t create.
tofu destroyonly removes what its state records, so other files in the folder are safe.
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | What happens | Do this instead |
|---|---|---|
| Running it in the wrong folder | OpenTofu destroys whatever that folder’s state manages. | Check the folder, then run tofu plan -destroy first. |
Using tofu destroy to remove one resource | Everything in the project goes, not just that one. | Delete that resource’s block from your .tf file and run tofu apply. |
| Deleting the folder instead | Anything OpenTofu created outside the folder, such as containers or cloud resources, keeps running, and OpenTofu no longer knows about it. | Run tofu destroy first, then delete the folder. |
FAQ
Can I undo tofu destroy?
No, as the prompt warns. You can run tofu apply to create the resources again, but anything stored inside them is gone.
Is tofu destroy the same as tofu apply -destroy?
Yes. OpenTofu’s documentation calls tofu destroy a convenience alias for tofu apply -destroy, which is why it accepts most of the same options.
How do I skip the yes prompt?
Add -auto-approve, but only in automation. tofu apply -auto-approve: Apply Without the Prompt explains when that’s safe.
Conclusion
Preview with tofu plan -destroy, then run tofu destroy and type yes. It removes only what OpenTofu created for that project, keeps your configuration, and can’t be undone, so read the list before you confirm.
Related
- OpenTofu Tutorial — Part 2: Your First OpenTofu Project: init, plan, apply and destroy
- How to Read an OpenTofu Plan
- tofu apply -auto-approve: Apply Without the Prompt
Additional Resources
- Command: destroy (OpenTofu docs)
- Command: plan (OpenTofu docs)
OpenTofu® is a registered trademark of LF Projects, LLC. Other names mentioned are trademarks of their respective owners. JD Bots isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by the OpenTofu project.
Leave a Reply