Infrastructure as code: Terraform flags

Ever tried to explain to a non-technical stakeholder why you broke production while "just updating a config file"? Yeah, me too. That's exactly why infrastructure as code exists - and why smart teams are now baking feature flags directly into their Terraform workflows.

Here's the thing: managing infrastructure and feature releases separately is like trying to coordinate two different orchestras playing the same symphony. You might pull it off, but why make life harder? Let's walk through how to merge these worlds properly, avoid the common pitfalls, and actually ship faster without breaking things.

The foundation of infrastructure as code with Terraform

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) sounds fancy, but it's really just treating your servers and networks like you treat your application code. You write it, version it, test it, and - crucially - you can roll it back when things go sideways. Terraform has become the go-to tool for this because it works with basically everything: AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, you name it.

The magic happens through Terraform's configuration language (HCL). Instead of clicking through AWS consoles at 2 AM trying to remember which settings you changed, you write down exactly what you want. Simple as that. Your infrastructure becomes a text file that you can share, review, and - most importantly - reproduce exactly the same way every time.

What makes Terraform particularly powerful is its approach to immutable infrastructure. Rather than SSHing into servers and tweaking things (we've all been there), you just tear down the old stuff and spin up new stuff. Sounds wasteful? It's actually faster and way more reliable. No more "works on my machine" but for servers.

The Terraform integration with Statsig takes this a step further. Now you can manage your feature flags right alongside your infrastructure. Think about it: you're already defining your databases, servers, and networks as code. Why not your feature toggles too? This keeps everything in one place, tracked in Git, with a clear history of who changed what and when.

Integrating feature flags into infrastructure workflows

Feature flags in infrastructure might sound weird at first. Aren't flags for features, not servers? Here's where it gets interesting.

Imagine you're migrating from an old database to a shiny new one. You could do a big-bang migration over a terrifying weekend. Or you could use a feature flag to gradually route traffic: 1% to the new database, then 10%, then 50%, watching your metrics the whole time. If something breaks, flip the flag back. Crisis averted.

The real challenge isn't technical - it's organizational. Your infrastructure team needs to know about feature flags. Your product team needs to understand infrastructure dependencies. As Martin Fowler points out in his writing on continuous delivery, the goal is to make releases boring. Feature flags in your infrastructure code help you get there.

Here's what typically trips teams up:

• Where do you store flag state? (Hint: not in Terraform state files)

• How do you test infrastructure changes that depend on flags?

• Who gets to flip the switch in production?

This is where the Terraform-Statsig integration really shines. You define your flags as Terraform resources, but Statsig handles the runtime state and targeting. Your infrastructure code stays clean, your flags stay flexible, and you get the best of both worlds. Plus, with Statsig's feature management capabilities, you can see exactly how your infrastructure changes impact actual users - not just CPU metrics.

Automating feature flag management with Terraform

Let's get practical. Managing feature flags through Terraform means treating them like any other infrastructure resource. No more logging into dashboards to create flags. No more forgetting which flags exist in which environment.

Here's what it looks like in practice:

Simple, right? But here's where it gets powerful. That flag definition lives in your repo. It goes through code review. It gets deployed through your CI/CD pipeline. Your feature flags now have the same rigor as your infrastructure.

The Netflix engineering team discovered this approach dramatically reduced configuration drift between environments. When everything's in code, your staging environment actually matches production. Revolutionary concept, I know.

The real benefits kick in when you're managing dozens or hundreds of flags:

• No more orphaned flags: If it's not in Terraform, it doesn't exist

• Instant environment replication: Spin up a new environment with all flags configured correctly

• Audit trail for free: Git history shows exactly who changed what flag and why

Terraform's plan and apply workflow means you see exactly what's going to change before it happens. No surprises. Your team reviews the plan, sees that three flags are being updated, and can make an informed decision. Try doing that with manual flag management.

Best practices for combining Terraform and feature flags

After watching teams struggle with this integration, I've seen patterns emerge. The successful ones do a few things consistently well.

First, they tag everything. Every Terraform-managed resource gets tagged with something like terraform-managed or flag-controlled. Sounds basic, but it prevents that horrible moment when someone manually tweaks a flag that Terraform manages. Next deploy - poof, manual change gone.

Second, they document religiously. Not lengthy wikis that nobody reads. Just a simple README in each Terraform module explaining which flags it manages and why. The team at Spotify maintains a central registry of all Terraform configs and their associated feature flags. Takes 30 seconds to check before making changes. Saves hours of debugging.

Here's what really matters for avoiding conflicts:

• Use separate Terraform workspaces for each environment (dev, staging, prod)

• Define clear ownership: who manages infrastructure vs. who manages flag values

• Automate cleanup of old flags using Terraform's destroy command

• Keep your Terraform modules small and focused

The biggest mistake? Trying to manage flag values through Terraform. Terraform should create the flag and set its default state. But the actual on/off switching? That happens through your feature flag service. Think of Terraform as the architect and your flag service as the light switch operator.

One last thing: review your flags quarterly. Seriously, put it in your calendar. Old flags are like that box in your garage - you think you might need them someday, but you never do. The team at Airbnb found they had flags from three years ago still "temporarily" controlling features. Don't be like them.

Closing thoughts

Combining Terraform with feature flags isn't just about following the latest DevOps trends. It's about making your life easier and your deployments safer. When your infrastructure and feature rollouts speak the same language, you spend less time coordinating and more time building.

Start small. Pick one service, add a feature flag to control its rollout, and manage it through Terraform. See how it feels. Build from there.

Want to dive deeper? Check out the official Terraform documentation, browse through Statsig's integration guides, or just start experimenting in a dev environment.

Hope you find this useful! And remember - every production incident is just a learning opportunity in disguise. Unless it's on a Friday. Then it's just annoying.