| --- |
| page_title: Manipulating State - Terraform CLI |
| description: >- |
| State data tracks which real-world object corresponds to each resource. |
| Inspect state, move or import resources, and more. |
| --- |
| |
| # Manipulating Terraform State |
| |
| > **Hands-on:** Try the [Manage Resources in Terraform State](https://learn.hashicorp.com/tutorials/terraform/state-cli?utm_source=WEBSITE&utm_medium=WEB_IO&utm_offer=ARTICLE_PAGE&utm_content=DOCS) tutorial. |
| |
| Terraform uses [state data](/language/state) to remember which |
| real-world object corresponds to each resource in the configuration; |
| this allows it to modify an existing object when its resource declaration |
| changes. |
| |
| Terraform updates state automatically during plans and applies. However, it's |
| sometimes necessary to make deliberate adjustments to Terraform's state data, |
| usually to compensate for changes to the configuration or the real managed |
| infrastructure. |
| |
| Terraform CLI supports several workflows for interacting with state: |
| |
| - [Inspecting State](/cli/state/inspect) |
| - [Forcing Re-creation](/cli/state/taint) |
| - [Moving Resources](/cli/state/move) |
| - Importing Pre-existing Resources (documented in the |
| [Importing Infrastructure](/cli/import) section) |
| - [Disaster Recovery](/cli/state/recover) |
| |
| ~> **Important:** Modifying state data outside a normal plan or apply can cause |
| Terraform to lose track of managed resources, which might waste money, annoy |
| your colleagues, or even compromise the security of your operations. Make sure |
| to keep backups of your state data when modifying state out-of-band. |
