> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.amnify.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# template.json Reference

This is the complete schema reference for the manifest file Amnify reads alongside your `.tf` files. Every field documented here is parsed and used by Amnify; nothing here is aspirational.

The schema is enforced server-side at sync time. If a manifest is malformed, the sync rejects the template and reports the error.

***

## Top-Level Fields

| Field            | Required | Type   | Description                                                                                                                                  |
| ---------------- | -------- | ------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `id`             | yes      | string | Stable, unique identifier for the template. Used as the database key. Convention: `tpl-<provider>-<name>` (e.g. `tpl-azure-resource-group`). |
| `name`           | yes      | string | Display name shown on the template card and in the deployment wizard.                                                                        |
| `description`    | yes      | string | One- or two-sentence summary of what the template provisions.                                                                                |
| `category`       | yes      | enum   | One of: `infrastructure`, `application`, `database`, `combo`. Used for filtering in the library.                                             |
| `cloud_provider` | yes      | enum   | One of: `azure`, `aws`, `gcp`. Must match the parent directory under `templates/`.                                                           |
| `iac_type`       | yes      | enum   | Currently only `terraform` is supported.                                                                                                     |
| `icon`           | no       | string | Name of any [Lucide icon](https://lucide.dev/icons/) (e.g. `Network`, `Database`, `Cloud`, `FolderOpen`).                                    |
| `variables`      | yes      | array  | List of variable definitions. See the next section.                                                                                          |

### Minimal valid example

```json theme={null}
{
  "id": "tpl-azure-resource-group",
  "name": "Azure Resource Group",
  "description": "Create an Azure Resource Group.",
  "category": "infrastructure",
  "cloud_provider": "azure",
  "iac_type": "terraform",
  "icon": "FolderOpen",
  "variables": []
}
```

***

## Variable Definition

Every entry in the `variables` array describes one input that will be rendered as a form field in the Amnify UI and written to `terraform.tfvars.json` at deploy time.

| Field           | Required | Type      | Description                                                                                                                                                                |
| --------------- | -------- | --------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `name`          | yes      | string    | Variable identifier. Must exactly match a `variable` block in your `.tf` files.                                                                                            |
| `type`          | yes      | string    | One of: `string`, `number`, `bool`, `object`, `list(object)`. See [Variable Types & Secrets](/cspm-deploy/create-custom-templates/variable-types-and-secrets) for details. |
| `description`   | no       | string    | Help text displayed beneath the form field.                                                                                                                                |
| `required`      | yes      | bool      | If `true`, the user must provide a value before the deployment can proceed.                                                                                                |
| `default`       | no       | any       | Pre-filled value in the form. Type must match `type`.                                                                                                                      |
| `options`       | no       | string\[] | Renders the field as a dropdown. Only valid for `string`-typed variables.                                                                                                  |
| `sensitive`     | yes      | bool      | If `true`, the value is masked in the UI and encrypted at rest with AES-256-GCM.                                                                                           |
| `resource_type` | no       | string    | Terraform resource type (e.g. `azurerm_resource_group`). Renders a cloud resource picker that fetches live resources of that type from the user's cloud account.           |
| `parent_field`  | no       | string    | Name of a sibling variable whose value scopes the resource picker (e.g. set to `vpc_id` on a `subnet_id` field so the picker only shows subnets inside the chosen VPC).    |
| `condition`     | no       | object    | `{ "field": "<sibling_name>", "equals": <value> }`. The field is shown only when the sibling's value matches.                                                              |
| `min_items`     | no       | number    | Minimum number of items required for `list(object)` variables.                                                                                                             |
| `schema`        | no       | array     | Nested array of variable definitions. Required for `object` and `list(object)` types.                                                                                      |

***

### `name`

Must match a `variable` block in your `.tf` files exactly. This is how user-supplied values are routed to Terraform.

```json theme={null}
{ "name": "resource_group_name" }
```

```hcl theme={null}
variable "resource_group_name" {
  type = string
}
```

### `type`

Determines how the field is rendered and what shape Terraform expects. Supported values:

* `string` — single-line text input.
* `number` — numeric input, parsed as JSON number.
* `bool` — toggle.
* `object` — group of nested fields described by a `schema` array.
* `list(object)` — repeating group of nested fields, with add/remove controls.

### `required`

If `true`, the deployment wizard blocks progress until the field is populated. If `false`, the field can be left empty and the variable's `default` (if set) or Terraform's own default kicks in.

### `default`

Pre-fills the field with this value. Should match the variable's `type`. For `list(object)` and `object`, the default is rarely used — set sub-field defaults inside the nested `schema` instead.

### `options`

Renders a `string` field as a dropdown with these choices. Useful for region selectors, sizing tiers, enum-like inputs.

```json theme={null}
{
  "name": "region",
  "type": "string",
  "required": true,
  "default": "eu-west-1",
  "options": ["eu-west-1", "eu-central-1", "us-east-1", "us-west-2"]
}
```

### `sensitive`

When `true`:

* The form field is rendered as a masked password input.
* The value is encrypted (AES-256-GCM, scoped per organization) before being persisted.
* The plaintext is only decrypted in memory inside the deploy worker, just before being merged into `terraform.tfvars.json`.

See [Variable Types & Secrets](/cspm-deploy/create-custom-templates/variable-types-and-secrets#sensitive-variables) for the full encryption flow.

### `resource_type`

Tells Amnify to render a cloud resource picker instead of a free-text input. Amnify queries the user's connected cloud account for resources of the given Terraform type and displays them in a dropdown. Common values:

* `azurerm_resource_group`
* `azurerm_virtual_network`
* `aws_vpc`
* `aws_subnet`

### `parent_field`

Used together with `resource_type` to scope a resource picker to a parent. Example: a subnet picker that only shows subnets inside the VPC the user selected earlier.

```json theme={null}
[
  {
    "name": "vpc_id",
    "type": "string",
    "required": true,
    "resource_type": "aws_vpc"
  },
  {
    "name": "subnet_id",
    "type": "string",
    "required": true,
    "resource_type": "aws_subnet",
    "parent_field": "vpc_id"
  }
]
```

### `condition` — Conditional Visibility

Hides a field unless a sibling variable has a specific value. Useful for "advanced" toggles that reveal further fields.

```json theme={null}
[
  {
    "name": "enable_versioning",
    "type": "bool",
    "required": true,
    "default": false
  },
  {
    "name": "versioning_retention_days",
    "type": "number",
    "required": false,
    "default": 30,
    "condition": { "field": "enable_versioning", "equals": true }
  }
]
```

### `min_items`

For `list(object)`, the minimum number of entries the user must add. Use it for fields where "zero items" is meaningless (e.g. a VPC must have at least one subnet).

```json theme={null}
{
  "name": "subnets",
  "type": "list(object)",
  "required": true,
  "min_items": 1,
  "schema": [ /* ... */ ]
}
```

### `schema` — Nested Variables

For `object` and `list(object)` types, `schema` is an array of variable definitions describing the nested fields. The same fields documented above apply recursively — you can nest objects inside lists inside objects to any depth.

```json theme={null}
{
  "name": "subnets",
  "type": "list(object)",
  "required": true,
  "min_items": 1,
  "schema": [
    {
      "name": "name",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "sensitive": false
    },
    {
      "name": "cidr",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "sensitive": false
    }
  ]
}
```

The matching `.tf` declaration uses `optional(...)` for non-required fields:

```hcl theme={null}
variable "subnets" {
  type = list(object({
    name = string
    cidr = string
  }))
}
```

***

## Categories

The `category` field controls which group the template appears in inside the library:

| Value            | Use for                                                  |
| ---------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| `infrastructure` | Networks, compute, clusters, storage, identity.          |
| `application`    | Web services, container apps, serverless functions.      |
| `database`       | Managed database services.                               |
| `combo`          | Multi-component stacks (e.g. webapp + database + cache). |

***

## Field Limits and Conventions

* `id` should be stable across versions. Renaming it creates a new template; users will not see the rename automatically.
* `description` is rendered as plain text (no Markdown).
* Variable `name` should be `snake_case` to match Terraform conventions.
* `options` are case-sensitive; the user's selection is passed verbatim to Terraform.

***

## Next Steps

* [Variable Types & Secrets](/cspm-deploy/create-custom-templates/variable-types-and-secrets) — deeper dive on each type with `.tf` ↔ JSON examples.
* [Example — AWS VPC](/cspm-deploy/create-custom-templates/example-aws-vpc) — a manifest that exercises every advanced field on this page.