Terraform does not understand AWS by default.
Before Terraform can plan resources or build a dependency graph, it must first know which external systems it is allowed to speak to. That decision is made in the required providers block.
This block does not configure AWS.
It declares provider existence, trust, and version boundaries.
Only after that declaration does Terraform allow configuration and execution to proceed.
In this lesson, we explain:
- Why AWS is external to Terraform
- Providers as translators, not tools
- Required providers vs provider configuration
- Why explicit provider declaration stabilizes dependency reasoning
- The subtle risk of semantic drift over time
This is not a step-by-step tutorial.
It is a mental model for how Terraform thinks.
▶️ Watch the full lesson: Terraform Required Providers Block Explained (AWS)