Terraform often feels like magic.
You write declarative code.
You run a command.
Infrastructure appears.
That abstraction can quietly create a dangerous misconception.
Many engineers assume Terraform replaces the cloud CLI or somehow authenticates on its own. It does not.
Terraform never logs you in. It never opens a browser. It never decides which account you are using. It simply consumes credentials that already exist in your execution environment.
If you have ever wondered why Terraform suddenly targeted the wrong account, failed before planning, or behaved differently in CI than on your laptop, the answer is almost always identity.
In this video, I break down the real authentication flow behind Terraform. You will see where credentials actually come from, how named profiles influence behavior, and why Terraform should be treated as a guest in your terminal rather than an identity of its own.
“This is a slow, foundational explanation. If you’re looking for quick commands, this one won’t be useful.”