1--- 2layout: "language" 3page_title: "Backend Overview - Configuration Language" 4--- 5 6# Backends 7 8Each Terraform configuration can specify a backend, which defines where 9and how operations are performed, where [state](/docs/language/state/index.html) 10snapshots are stored, etc. 11 12The rest of this page introduces the concept of backends; the other pages in 13this section document how to configure and use backends. 14 15- [Backend Configuration](/docs/language/settings/backends/configuration.html) documents the form 16 of a `backend` block, which selects and configures a backend for a 17 Terraform configuration. 18- This section also includes a page for each of Terraform's built-in backends, 19 documenting its behavior and available settings. See the navigation sidebar 20 for a complete list. 21 22## Recommended Backends 23 24- If you are still learning how to use Terraform, we recommend using the default 25 `local` backend, which requires no configuration. 26- If you and your team are using Terraform to manage meaningful infrastructure, 27 we recommend using the `remote` backend with [Terraform Cloud](/docs/cloud/index.html) 28 or [Terraform Enterprise](/docs/enterprise/index.html). 29 30## Where Backends are Used 31 32Backend configuration is only used by [Terraform CLI](/docs/cli/index.html). 33Terraform Cloud and Terraform Enterprise always use their own state storage when 34performing Terraform runs, so they ignore any backend block in the 35configuration. 36 37But since it's common to 38[use Terraform CLI alongside Terraform Cloud](/docs/cloud/run/cli.html) 39(and since certain state operations, like [tainting](/docs/cli/commands/taint.html), 40can only be performed on the CLI), we recommend that Terraform Cloud users 41include a backend block in their configurations and configure the `remote` 42backend to use the relevant Terraform Cloud workspace(s). 43 44## Where Backends Come From 45 46Terraform includes a built-in selection of backends; this selection has changed 47over time, but does not change very often. 48 49The built-in backends are the only backends. You cannot load additional backends 50as plugins. 51 52## What Backends Do 53 54There are two areas of Terraform's behavior that are determined by the backend: 55 56- Where state is stored. 57- Where operations are performed. 58 59### State 60 61Terraform uses persistent [state](/docs/language/state/index.html) data to keep track of 62the resources it manages. Since it needs the state in order to know which 63real-world infrastructure objects correspond to the resources in a 64configuration, everyone working with a given collection of infrastructure 65resources must be able to access the same state data. 66 67The `local` backend stores state as a local file on disk, but every other 68backend stores state in a remote service of some kind, which allows multiple 69people to access it. Accessing state in a remote service generally requires some 70kind of access credentials, since state data contains extremely sensitive 71information. 72 73Some backends act like plain "remote disks" for state files; others support 74_locking_ the state while operations are being performed, which helps prevent 75conflicts and inconsistencies. 76 77### Operations 78 79"Operations" refers to performing API requests against infrastructure services 80in order to create, read, update, or destroy resources. Not every `terraform` 81subcommand performs API operations; many of them only operate on state data. 82 83Only two backends actually perform operations: `local` and `remote`. 84 85The `local` backend performs API operations directly from the machine where the 86`terraform` command is run. Whenever you use a backend other than `local` or 87`remote`, Terraform uses the `local` backend for operations; it only uses the 88configured backend for state storage. 89 90The `remote` backend can perform API operations remotely, using Terraform Cloud 91or Terraform Enterprise. When running remote operations, the local `terraform` 92command displays the output of the remote actions as though they were being 93performed locally, but only the remote system requires cloud credentials or 94network access to the resources being managed. 95 96Remote operations are optional for the `remote` backend; the settings for the 97target Terraform Cloud workspace determine whether operations run remotely or 98locally. If local operations are configured, Terraform uses the `remote` backend 99for state and the `local` backend for operations, like with the other state 100backends. 101 102### Backend Types 103 104Terraform's backends are divided into two main types, according to how they 105handle state and operations: 106 107- **Enhanced** backends can both store state and perform operations. There are 108 only two enhanced backends: `local` and `remote`. 109- **Standard** backends only store state, and rely on the `local` backend for 110 performing operations. 111