hashicorp/terraform · warning

Please select 1 or 2 as part of this option.

Error message

Please select 1 or 2 as part of this option.

What it means

Returned when the user, at the 'rename workspaces?' prompt during multi-state-to-TFC migration, typed something other than exactly '1' or '2'. The value must be one of those two literal choices; '1' means rename with a pattern, '2' means keep names as-is.

Source

Thrown at internal/command/meta_backend_migrate.go:956

		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.")
	}
	if renameWorkspaces == "2" {
		// this means they did not want to rename their workspaces, and we are
		// returning a generic '*' that means use the same workspace name during
		// migration.
		return "*", nil
	}

	pattern, err := m.UIInput().Input(context.Background(), &terraform.InputOpts{
		Id:          "backend-migrate-multistate-to-tfc-pattern",
		Query:       fmt.Sprintf("[reset][bold][yellow]%s[reset]", "How would you like to rename your workspaces?"),
		Description: strings.TrimSpace(tfcInputBackendMigrateMultiToMultiPattern),
	})
	if err != nil {
		return "", fmt.Errorf("Error asking for state migration action: %s", err)
	}
	if !strings.Contains(pattern, "*") {
		return "", fmt.Errorf("The pattern must have an '*'")

View on GitHub (pinned to c9def3e214)

Solutions

1. Re-run init and type exactly '1' (rename with a pattern) or '2' (do not rename) at the prompt.
2. If you do not want renaming, choose '2'.
3. If automating, supply the exact token via a controlled pipe.
4. Avoid -force/extra flags that do not apply to this prompt; the choice is strictly 1 or 2.

Example fix

// before
// at prompt: type 'yes'  -> error

// after
// at prompt: type '1'  (rename) or '2' (keep names)

// When automating the rename prompt, supply exactly '1' or '2'.
input := strings.TrimSpace(answer)
if input != "1" && input != "2" {
    return fmt.Errorf("must answer 1 or 2")
}
_ = input

func isValidRenameChoice(s string) bool {
    return s == "1" || s == "2"
}

When it happens

Trigger: promptMultiStateMigrationPattern receives a renameWorkspaces value that is neither "1" nor "2" — e.g. '3', 'yes', '1 ', an empty string, or '12'. The guard `if renameWorkspaces != "2" && renameWorkspaces != "1"` fires.

Common situations: User misreads the prompt and types 'yes'/'no'; stray whitespace/newline; pasted multi-character answer; non-English locale confusion about the numeric choice.

Related errors

• The pattern must have an '*'
• The pattern '*' cannot be used more than once.
• Error asking for new state name: %s
• Invalid value: %s
• Provider download blocked due to policy violations. Please r

AI-assisted analysis of hashicorp/terraform@c9def3e214 (2026-08-07). Data as JSON: /api/errors/2f10a00adea28dd0. Report an issue: GitHub.