AWS credentials not found when initializing Terraform with S3 backend

Backend
1

I’m trying to set up an S3 backend for my Terraform configuration but running into credential issues.

Here’s my backend setup:

terraform {
  backend "s3" {
    bucket = "my-terraform-state"
    key    = "infrastructure/terraform.tfstate"
    region = "us-west-2"
  }
}

When I execute terraform init, I get this error message:

Error: Failed to configure S3 backend - AWS credentials not detected. Terraform cannot locate valid AWS authentication details.

I’ve set up my AWS access key and secret key as variables in my providers configuration file, but the initialization process doesn’t ask for these credentials. What’s the proper way to fix this authentication problem?

2

u got it! it’s easy to mix those up. definitely set those env vars before terraform init, it should help clear up the issue. hope that gets you going!

3

The S3 backend authentication occurs independently from your Terraform provider configuration. During the initialization phase, Terraform needs AWS credentials available through the standard credential chain to access your state bucket. I faced a similar situation when shifting to remote state. The resolution was to ensure my system-level credentials were set up correctly. You can check your AWS credentials’ accessibility by executing aws sts get-caller-identity in the terminal. If that command fails, Terraform’s initialization will fail as well. Consider using AWS credential profiles for better organization and security.

4

hmm interesting issue there! are you maybe confusing provider credentials with backend auth? the s3 backend needs aws creds available during terraform init itself, not just in your provider block. have you tried setting up aws cli first with aws configure or maybe using environment variables like AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID? curious what authentication method you’re currently using for other aws services?