hashicorp/terraform · error

error loading config with snapshot: %w

Error message

error loading config with snapshot: %w

What it means

parseRunVariables (backend_common.go:656-660) loads the root configuration module via op.ConfigLoader.LoadRootModule to resolve run variables; if that load returns diagnostics with errors, the first error diagnostic is wrapped here. It means the Terraform configuration itself could not be parsed/loaded before variables could be extracted for the remote run.

Source

Thrown at internal/cloud/backend_common.go:659

				uploaded = true
			}
		}
	}

	if !uploaded {
		return nil, b.generalError(
			"Failed to upload configuration files", errors.New("operation timed out"))
	}

	log.Printf("[TRACE] backend/cloud: configuration uploaded and ready")

	return cv, nil
}

func (b *Cloud) parseRunVariables(op *backendrun.Operation) ([]*tfe.RunVariable, error) {
	config, configDiags := op.ConfigLoader.LoadRootModule(op.ConfigDir)
	if configDiags.HasErrors() {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error loading config with snapshot: %w", configDiags.Errs()[0])
	}

	variables, varDiags := ParseCloudRunVariables(op.Variables, config.Variables)

	if varDiags.HasErrors() {
		return nil, varDiags.Err()
	}

	runVariables := make([]*tfe.RunVariable, 0, len(variables))
	for name, value := range variables {
		runVariables = append(runVariables, &tfe.RunVariable{
			Key:   name,
			Value: value,
		})
	}

	return runVariables, nil
}

View on GitHub (pinned to c9def3e214)

Solutions

1. Run `terraform validate` / `terraform fmt` and fix the reported HCL/syntax errors in the config dir.
2. Ensure `terraform init` has downloaded all required modules/providers.
3. Read the wrapped diagnostic which names the offending file and line; correct it and retry.
4. Confirm op.ConfigDir points at the intended module root.

Example fix

// before: variable with bad default
variable "count" { default = "abc" }
// -> error loading config with snapshot: <diag>
// after: correct the variable definition
variable "count" { type = number default = 0 }

// Validate config loads cleanly before preparing variables.
if diags := loader.LoadRootModule(dir); diags.HasErrors() {
    return diags // surface to user before parseRunVariables
}

When it happens

Trigger: op.ConfigLoader.LoadRootModule(op.ConfigDir) at backend_common.go:657 returns configDiags with HasErrors() true. Reached while preparing a cloud run's variables. Caused by syntax errors, missing files, bad module references, or HCL parse failures in the config dir.

Common situations: A .tf file with a syntax/HCL error. A referenced module not downloaded (terraform init not run). Broken variable definitions (duplicate, bad type). File removed between init and apply.

Related errors

• tag object values must be strings
• tag elements must be strings
• error finding remote workspace: %w
• error loading workspace: %w
• error loading variables: %w

AI-assisted analysis of hashicorp/terraform@c9def3e214 (2026-08-07). Data as JSON: /api/errors/d4b7dd4d1ad54bfa. Report an issue: GitHub.