hashicorp/terraform · error

Error asking for new state name: %s

Error message

Error asking for new state name: %s

What it means

Raised when prompting the user for a new workspace/state name (because the destination backend requires named workspaces, e.g. HCP Terraform/TFE) and the UIInput reader returns an error. The prompt Id is "new-state-name"; failure means stdin could not deliver a string, not that the name was invalid.

Source

Thrown at internal/command/meta_backend_migrate.go:938

}

func (m *Meta) promptNewWorkspaceName(destinationType string) (string, error) {
	message := fmt.Sprintf("[reset][bold][yellow]The %q backend configuration only allows "+
		"named workspaces![reset]", destinationType)
	if destinationType == "cloud" {
		if !m.input {
			log.Print("[TRACE] backendMigrateState: can't prompt for input, so aborting migration")
			return "", errors.New(strings.TrimSpace(errInteractiveInputDisabled))
		}
		message = `[reset][bold][yellow]HCP Terraform and Terraform Enterprise require all workspaces to be given an explicit name.[reset]`
	}
	name, err := m.UIInput().Input(context.Background(), &terraform.InputOpts{
		Id:          "new-state-name",
		Query:       message,
		Description: strings.TrimSpace(inputBackendNewWorkspaceName),
	})
	if err != nil {
		return "", fmt.Errorf("Error asking for new state name: %s", err)
	}

	return name, nil
}

func (m *Meta) promptMultiStateMigrationPattern(sourceType string, appName string) (string, error) {
	// This is not the first prompt a user would be presented with in the migration to TFC, so no
	// guard on m.input is needed here.
	renameWorkspaces, err := m.UIInput().Input(context.Background(), &terraform.InputOpts{
		Id:          "backend-migrate-multistate-to-tfc",
		Query:       fmt.Sprintf("[reset][bold][yellow]%s[reset]", "Would you like to rename your workspaces?"),
		Description: fmt.Sprintf(strings.TrimSpace(tfcInputBackendMigrateMultiToMulti), sourceType, appName),
	})
	if err != nil {
		return "", fmt.Errorf("Error asking for state migration action: %s", err)
	}
	if renameWorkspaces != "2" && renameWorkspaces != "1" {
		return "", fmt.Errorf("Please select 1 or 2 as part of this option.")

View on GitHub (pinned to c9def3e214)

Solutions

1. Run with -input=false and ensure destination workspaces are pre-named/configured, or supply -migrate-state with a backend that does not require prompting.
2. Keep stdin open and type a workspace name at the prompt.
3. Allocate a TTY for interactive runs.
4. Pre-create the destination workspace name so the prompt is satisfied.

Example fix

// before
// terraform init -> cloud backend prompts for workspace name with closed stdin

// after
terraform init -input=false   // and ensure destination workspace is named in config

// Pre-configure the destination workspace name so no prompt is needed,
// or run non-interactively.
if !isInteractive {
    initFlags = append(initFlags, "-input=false")
}
// Ensure the cloud backend 'workspaces.name' is set in config.

When it happens

Trigger: promptNewWorkspaceName calls m.UIInput().Input(...) and err!=nil. Reached when migrating to a backend (cloud/TFC) that mandates explicit workspace names and the source workspace had no transferable name, while interactive input is unavailable.

Common situations: Automation/CI without -input=false trying to migrate to a cloud backend that requires a workspace name; closed stdin; terminal disconnect mid-migration.

Related errors

• error: using a saved cloud plan when executing Terraform loc
• Please select 1 or 2 as part of this option.
• The pattern must have an '*'
• The pattern '*' cannot be used more than once.
• %s: %s

AI-assisted analysis of hashicorp/terraform@c9def3e214 (2026-08-07). Data as JSON: /api/errors/7a3903f81faeba7a. Report an issue: GitHub.