What is the result of importing an existing resource into Terraform state?

• A. Creates new resources in your cloud provider
• B. Deletes the external resources
• C. Adds those resources to Terraform's state file
• D. Destroys and recreates resources

Answer: (C)

Importing an existing resource into Terraform state means recording a resource that already exists in your cloud provider into Terraform's state file so Terraform can manage it. This operation does not create new resources, nor does it delete or recreate them. It simply adds the resource to the state, allowing Terraform to apply future changes defined in your configuration and to track the real resource's attributes. After import, you typically have a corresponding resource block in your configuration; the next plan/apply will ensure the real-world resource matches the configuration, and any drift will be corrected. In short, the resource becomes part of Terraform's state so Terraform can manage it going forward.