How to Import an AWS Lambda Layer Version into Terraform

Import AWS Lambda Layer Version with Terraback (recommended)

Terraback reverse-engineers your live infrastructure: it reads the AWS Lambda resource with read-only credentials, generates the HCL, and produces the exact import block. Two commands take you from a live AWS Lambda Layer Version to managed Terraform.

terraback scan all aws --region us-east-1

terraback aws import --method bulk

The Terraform import block

Terraback emits a Terraform 1.5+ import block like the one below. Because the block lives in your configuration, the import is reviewable in a pull request and repeatable across environments.

import {
  to = aws_lambda_layer_version.shared
  id = "arn:aws:lambda:us-east-1:123456789012:layer:shared-deps:5"
}

Example aws_lambda_layer_version configuration

Here is a realistic AWS Lambda Layer Version block. Terraback generates a fuller version from your actual resource attributes; this is a minimal, valid starting point.

resource "aws_lambda_layer_version" "shared" {
  layer_name          = "shared-deps"
  filename            = "layer.zip"
  compatible_runtimes = ["python3.12"]
  description         = "Shared Python dependencies"
}

Gotchas when importing a AWS Lambda Layer Version

• Import by the full layer ARN including the trailing :version number; the layer name alone is not a valid import ID.
• Layer versions are immutable; publishing new content creates a new version, so Terraform replaces rather than updates.
• The actual layer .zip content is not returned by AWS, so filename or s3_* fields show a diff unless you provide the matching artifact.
• Layer permissions (aws_lambda_layer_version_permission) granting cross-account access are a separate resource.

Doing it manually with terraform import

The native approach is to write the aws_lambda_layer_version block by hand, then run terraform import aws_lambda_layer_version.example <import-id> for every resource, one at a time. That works for a handful of resources, but it does not scale: you author all the HCL yourself and repeat the command for each item. Terraback generates the HCL and the import blocks for your whole account in one pass.

Import other AWS resources