What causes "discarded using the UI or API" in hashicorp/terraform?

Re-run the terraform command if the discard was not intended.

errRunDiscarded

errRunDiscarded

Error message

discarded using the UI or API

What it means

A sentinel error set in backend_common.go:468-469 and :476-477 when the cloud backend's polling goroutine detects that a run's status has transitioned to tfe.RunDiscarded during the interactive confirmation wait. Unlike errApplyDiscarded/errDestroyDiscarded (which are user-facing results), this is the intermediate signal that triggers the mapping to those specific errors at backend_common.go:490. It indicates the run was discarded externally via UI/API while the CLI awaited local input.

Source

Thrown at internal/cloud/errors.go:20

// SPDX-License-Identifier: BUSL-1.1

package cloud

import (
	"errors"
	"fmt"
	"strings"

	"github.com/hashicorp/terraform/internal/tfdiags"
	"github.com/zclconf/go-cty/cty"
)

// String based errors
var (
	errApplyDiscarded                    = errors.New("Apply discarded.")
	errDestroyDiscarded                  = errors.New("Destroy discarded.")
	errRunApproved                       = errors.New("approved using the UI or API")
	errRunDiscarded                      = errors.New("discarded using the UI or API")
	errRunOverridden                     = errors.New("overridden using the UI or API")
	errApplyNeedsUIConfirmation          = errors.New("Cannot confirm apply due to -input=false. Please handle run confirmation in the UI.")
	errPolicyOverrideNeedsUIConfirmation = errors.New("Cannot override soft failed policy checks when -input=false. Please open the run in the UI to override.")
)

// Diagnostic error messages
var (
	invalidWorkspaceConfigMissingValues = tfdiags.AttributeValue(
		tfdiags.Error,
		"Invalid workspaces configuration",
		fmt.Sprintf("Missing workspace mapping strategy. Either workspace \"tags\" or \"name\" is required.\n\n%s", workspaceConfigurationHelp),
		cty.Path{cty.GetAttrStep{Name: "workspaces"}},
	)

	invalidWorkspaceConfigMisconfiguration = tfdiags.AttributeValue(
		tfdiags.Error,
		"Invalid workspaces configuration",
		fmt.Sprintf("Only one of workspace \"tags\" or \"name\" is allowed.\n\n%s", workspaceConfigurationHelp),

View on GitHub (pinned to d32a084675)

Solutions

Re-run the terraform command if the discard was not intended.
Coordinate workspace access to prevent concurrent UI/API and CLI operations.
Use workspace locks to serialize operations during critical workflows.

Defensive patterns

Strategy: try-catch

Try / catch

// if errors.Is(err, cloud.ErrRunDiscarded) {
//     log.Info("run was discarded externally during confirmation")
//     // retry or alert as appropriate
// }

Prevention

Use workspace locks to prevent concurrent operations that lead to external discards.
Monitor for concurrent UI/API operations during CLI-driven workflows.
Set up run notifications in TFC to detect when runs are discarded by others.

When it happens

Trigger: During a cloud-backed apply or destroy with interactive confirmation active, a teammate or automation system discards the run in the TFC/TFE UI or via the API. The confirm() polling loop in backend_common.go reads the run status, sees RunDiscarded, and sets errRunDiscarded.

Common situations: Concurrent operations on a shared workspace; someone cancels a run in the UI while another person's CLI session is waiting for 'yes'; CI/CD automation discards a stale run.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of hashicorp/terraform@d32a084675 (2026-08-11). Data as JSON: /api/errors/82cfd7622868537e. Report an issue: GitHub.