run-acceptance-tests

hashicorp/agent-skills

Run and diagnose Terraform provider acceptance tests with proper environment setup and debugging.

What is run-acceptance-tests?

This skill guides you through running acceptance tests (Go test functions prefixed with `TestAcc`) for Terraform providers. Use it when executing acceptance tests, handling missing environment variables, or diagnosing test failures. Acceptance tests create real infrastructure against live APIs and may incur costs.

Run focused acceptance tests with required environment variables (TF_ACC=1) and explicit timeouts
Discover and configure provider-specific environment variables by inspecting PreCheck functions and repository documentation
Enable progressive debugging: verbose output (-v flag), debug-level logging (TF_LOG=debug), and workspace persistence (TF_ACC_WORKING_DIR_PERSIST=1)
Verify test validity by intentionally breaking a passing test to confirm it actually validates behavior
Clean up orphaned infrastructure using provider sweepers if a test run is interrupted

How to install run-acceptance-tests

npx skills add https://github.com/hashicorp/agent-skills --skill run-acceptance-tests

Prerequisites

Go installed and configured
Access to a test account with appropriate credentials (never use production)
Understanding of the specific provider's required environment variables

Claude Code

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How to use run-acceptance-tests

1.Identify the acceptance test name (e.g., TestAccFeatureHappyPath)
2.Discover required environment variables by reading the test's PreCheck function or grep-searching test files for os.Getenv
3.Set environment variables for the test invocation: TF_ACC=1 EXAMPLE_API_KEY=... go test -run=TestAccFeatureHappyPath -timeout 60m
4.If the test fails, progressively enable debugging: add -v flag, then set TF_LOG=debug, then set TF_ACC_WORKING_DIR_PERSIST=1
5.If the test passes but seems suspicious, flip it by editing a TestCheckFunc value, re-run to confirm it fails, then undo the edit

Use cases

Good for

Running a specific acceptance test like TestAccFeatureHappyPath with TF_ACC=1 and a 60-minute timeout
Identifying missing environment variables by reading test PreCheck functions and grep-searching for os.Getenv calls
Debugging a failing acceptance test by progressively enabling verbose output, debug logging, and workspace persistence
Confirming a passing test is not a false negative by intentionally modifying a TestCheckFunc and re-running
Cleaning up real infrastructure left behind after an interrupted test run using provider sweepers

Who it's for

Terraform provider developers writing or maintaining acceptance tests
Contributors debugging failing acceptance tests in provider repositories
DevOps engineers validating provider functionality against live APIs

run-acceptance-tests FAQ

Why do acceptance tests require TF_ACC=1?

TF_ACC=1 is a guard that explicitly enables acceptance tests, which create real infrastructure against live APIs and may incur costs. This prevents accidental execution.

What timeout should I use for acceptance tests?

Always pass an explicit -timeout flag (e.g., -timeout 60m). Go test defaults to 10 minutes, which is too short for most acceptance tests.

Where should I store environment variables for acceptance tests?

Set them for the single test invocation (TF_ACC=1 go test ...) rather than exporting into your shell profile. Never write secret values into repository files.

How do I know if a passing acceptance test is actually working?

Flip the test by intentionally modifying a TestCheckFunc value and re-running. If it fails, the test is valid; if it still passes, the test may not be validating behavior correctly.

What happens if my acceptance test is interrupted?

Real infrastructure may be left behind. Run the provider's sweepers (if registered) to clean up orphaned resources. See the provider-test-patterns skill for sweeper details.

Full instructions (SKILL.md)

Source of truth, from hashicorp/agent-skills.

name: run-acceptance-tests description: Guide for running acceptance tests for a Terraform provider. Use this when asked to run an acceptance test or to run a test with the prefix `TestAcc`, when a test fails with missing environment variables, or when diagnosing a failing or suspiciously passing acceptance test. license: MPL-2.0 metadata: lifecycle-status: active copyright: Copyright IBM Corp. 2026 version: "0.0.1"

An acceptance test is a Go test function with the prefix TestAcc.

Before running: acceptance tests create real infrastructure against the provider's live API, which may incur cost. Confirm the configured credentials point at a test account before proceeding.

To run a focused acceptance test named TestAccFeatureHappyPath:

Run go test -run=TestAccFeatureHappyPath -timeout 60m with the following environment variables:
- TF_ACC=1
Default to non-verbose test output. Always pass an explicit -timeout: go test kills any test run after 10 minutes by default, and acceptance tests routinely exceed that.
The acceptance tests may require additional environment variables for specific providers. To discover which ones:
- Read the test's PreCheck / testAccPreCheck function and search the test files: grep -rn "os.Getenv" --include="*_test.go".
- Check the repository's README, CONTRIBUTING, or .env.example for documented test setup.
- The provider's Configure method shows how credentials are resolved; use the provider-configuration skill (if available) to understand a credential provider chain.
Set the variables for the single test invocation (EXAMPLE_API_KEY=... TF_ACC=1 go test ...) rather than exporting them into the shell profile, and never write secret values into files inside the repository.

To diagnose a failing acceptance test, use these options, in order. These options are cumulative: each option includes all the options above it.

Run the test again. Use the -count=1 option to ensure that go test does not use a cached result.
Offer verbose go test output. Use the -v option.
Offer debug-level logging. Enable debug-level logging with the environment variable TF_LOG=debug.
Offer to persist the acceptance test's Terraform workspace. Enable persistence with the environment variable TF_ACC_WORKING_DIR_PERSIST=1.

A passing acceptance test may be a false negative. To "flip" a passing acceptance test named TestAccFeatureHappyPath:

Edit the value of one of the TestCheckFuncs in one of the TestSteps in the TestCase.
Run the acceptance test. Expect the test to fail.
If the test fails, then undo the edit and report a successful flip. Else, keep the edit and report an unsuccessful flip.

If a test run is interrupted, real resources may be left behind; run the provider's sweepers if it registers them (see the provider-test-patterns skill's sweeper reference, if available). For writing or restructuring tests, use the provider-test-patterns skill.