# Terraform Plan Visualizer

Parse Terraform plan JSON or text output, classify resource changes, and surface a dependency-oriented summary before apply

> Canonical page: https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/terraform-plan-visualizer

- **Category:** Development

- **Keywords:** terraform, plan, infrastructure, devops, dependency graph, change summary

## Overview

Paste a Terraform plan JSON payload from "terraform show -json" or a plain-text plan output. The visualizer classifies resources by create, update, delete, replace, read, and no-op, then summarizes the impact by provider and resource dependency.

How to use it:
- Terraform Plan Input: paste raw plan JSON or plan text
- Plan File: upload a saved plan file instead of pasting
- Input Format: choose auto when the tool should detect JSON vs text
- Show Dependency Graph: render a lightweight graph for the first parsed dependency edges

Best results come from Terraform JSON because it includes resource metadata, dependency edges, and cleaner action labels than plain text plans.

## Inputs

- **Terraform Plan Input** (textarea): { "resource_changes": \[...\] }
- **Plan File** (file)
- **Input Format** (select)
- **Show Dependency Graph** (checkbox)

## When to use

- Reviewing complex infrastructure changes before running terraform apply to prevent unintended resource deletions or replacements.
- Auditing pull requests where infrastructure-as-code (IaC) modifications require a clear, visual summary of provider and resource impacts.
- Troubleshooting dependency issues by visualizing the execution order and relationships between newly created or modified resources.

## How it works

- Paste your raw Terraform plan text or the JSON payload generated by 'terraform show -json' into the input field, or upload a saved plan file.
- Select the input format (Auto, JSON, or Text) and toggle the dependency graph option based on your review needs.
- The tool parses the payload, categorizes every resource change (create, update, delete, replace, read, no-op), and maps out provider dependencies.
- Review the generated HTML summary and dependency graph to safely verify your infrastructure modifications.

## Use cases

- Visualizing large-scale Terraform state changes to quickly spot destructive actions like resource replacements.
- Generating a readable infrastructure change summary for team code reviews and change advisory board (CAB) approvals.
- Mapping out AWS, Azure, or GCP provider dependencies to understand the execution order of a complex Terraform module.

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I generate a Terraform plan JSON?

Run 'terraform plan -out=tfplan' followed by 'terraform show -json tfplan' to generate the structured JSON payload recommended for this tool.

### Does this tool support plain text plan outputs?

Yes, you can paste standard plain text plan outputs. However, JSON format is recommended as it provides richer metadata and cleaner dependency edges.

### What resource actions are classified by the visualizer?

The tool categorizes resource changes into create, update, delete, replace, read, and no-op actions.

### What is the Show Dependency Graph feature?

It renders a lightweight visual graph of the first parsed dependency edges, helping you understand the order and relationship of resource changes.

### Can I upload a file instead of pasting the plan?

Yes, you can use the Plan File option to upload a saved .json or .txt file up to 15MB in size.

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## Samples

- [Terraform Plan JSON Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/terraform-plan-json-samples): Sample Terraform plan JSON files exported from terraform show -json style payloads for dependency visualization and change review
- [Distributed Tracing Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/distributed-tracing-samples): Comprehensive distributed tracing examples using Jaeger, OpenTelemetry, and other modern observability tools for microservices architecture
- [JWT Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/jwt-samples): Comprehensive JWT examples from basic token structure to advanced security implementations
- [PDF Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/pdf-samples): Generated PDF samples from tools dated 2026-02-01 to 2026-02-10