How to fix Error: Unable to find remote module source in Terraform

Double-check the module source string in your Terraform configuration. Ensure there are no typos and that the path follows the correct format for your module type.

For Terraform Registry modules:

module "example" {
  source = "namespace/name/provider"
  version = "1.0.0"
}

For Git-based modules, ensure the URL is properly formatted:

module "example" {
  source = "git::https://github.com/org/repo.git//modules/example"
}

Clear the local module cache and force Terraform to re-download all modules. This resolves issues with corrupted or outdated cached modules.

terraform init -upgrade

The -upgrade flag ensures Terraform fetches the latest allowed versions matching your version constraints and refreshes the module cache.

For Terraform Registry modules, verify the version tag exists in the source. Check the Terraform Registry directly or use the API:

curl https://registry.terraform.io/v1/modules/namespace/name/provider/versions

For Git-based modules, verify the branch or tag exists:

git ls-remote https://github.com/org/repo.git | grep refs/tags/v1.0.0

If using private modules, ensure proper credentials are configured.

For Terraform Cloud/Enterprise:

terraform login

For GitHub private repositories, configure Git credentials or use SSH keys:

git config --global credential.helper store

For private module registries, update ~/.terraformrc:

credentials "tfe.example.com" {
  token = "YOUR_API_TOKEN"
}

Verify that your network can reach the module source. Test connectivity to the registry or repository:

curl -v https://registry.terraform.io
curl -v https://github.com

If behind a corporate proxy or firewall, configure Terraform to use the proxy settings. Add these environment variables:

export HTTP_PROXY=http://proxy.example.com:8080
export HTTPS_PROXY=http://proxy.example.com:8080
terraform init

Set TF_LOG to DEBUG to see detailed information about module resolution attempts. This helps identify exactly where the failure occurs:

export TF_LOG=DEBUG
terraform init > terraform-debug.log 2>&1

Examine the log output to find the specific error from the registry or repository. Common patterns include connection timeouts, authentication failures, or 404 errors indicating the module doesn't exist at that location.