# Provider Test Patterns

Terraform provider acceptance test patterns using terraform-plugin-testing with the...

- Repository: https://github.com/hashicorp/agent-skills (911 stars)
- Category: Testing
- License: MPL-2.0
- Last updated: 2026-10-28
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add hashicorp/agent-skills --skill provider-test-patterns -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add hashicorp/agent-skills --skill provider-test-patterns -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add hashicorp/agent-skills --skill provider-test-patterns -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add hashicorp/agent-skills --skill provider-test-patterns -g -a gemini-cli -y`
Claude Code plugin marketplace: `/plugin marketplace add hashicorp/agent-skills`

## Description

Terraform provider acceptance test patterns using terraform-plugin-testing with the Plugin Framework. Covers test structure, TestCase/TestStep fields, ConfigStateChecks with custom statecheck.StateCheck implementations, plan checks, CompareValue for cross-step assertions, config helpers, import testing with ImportStateKind, sweepers, and scenario patterns (basic, update, disappears, validation, regression), and ephemeral resource testing with the echoprovider package. Use when writing, reviewing, or debugging provider acceptance tests, including questions about statecheck, plancheck, TestCheckFunc, CheckDestroy, ExpectError, import state verification, ephemeral resources, or how to structure test files.

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

# Provider Acceptance Test Patterns

Patterns for writing acceptance tests using
[terraform-plugin-testing](https://github.com/hashicorp/terraform-plugin-testing)
with the [Plugin Framework](https://github.com/hashicorp/terraform-plugin-framework).

Source: [HashiCorp Testing Patterns](https://developer.hashicorp.com/terraform/plugin/testing/testing-patterns)

**References** (load when needed):
- `references/checks.md`, statecheck, plancheck, knownvalue types, tfjsonpath, comparers
- `references/sweepers.md`, sweeper setup, TestMain, dependencies
- `references/ephemeral.md`, ephemeral resource testing, echoprovider, multi-step patterns

---

## Test Lifecycle

The framework runs each TestStep through: **plan → apply → refresh → final
plan**. If the final plan shows a diff, the test fails (unless
`ExpectNonEmptyPlan` is set). After all steps, destroy runs followed by
`CheckDestroy`. This means every test automatically verifies that
configurations apply cleanly and produce no drift, no assertions needed for
that.

---

## Test Function Structure

```go
func TestAccExample_basic(t *testing.T) {
    var widget example.Widget
    rName := acctest.RandStringFromCharSet(10, acctest.CharSetAlphaNum)
    resourceName := "example_widget.test"

The rest: https://github.com/hashicorp/agent-skills/blob/HEAD/plugins/terraform/skills/provider-test-patterns/SKILL.md