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docs: clarify Terraform/CloudFormation deployment relationship #4747

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docs: clarify Terraform/CloudFormation deployment relationship
drernie Mar 3, 2026
825146f
docs: reorder CF/TF sentences (CF first, then TF)
drernie Mar 3, 2026
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docs: move deployment path intro to top of Installation Methods
drernie Mar 3, 2026
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drernie Mar 3, 2026
c3374d0
docs: improve Installation.md flow and clarity
drernie Mar 3, 2026
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docs: remove redundancy and fix misdirects in Installation.md
drernie Mar 3, 2026
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17 changes: 14 additions & 3 deletions docs/Catalog/Installation.md
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Expand Up @@ -133,10 +133,21 @@ Quilt when a new version is released.)
Note: the following screenshots may differ slightly from what
you see in Service Catalog.

Quilt supports two deployment paths: **CloudFormation** and **Terraform**.
In both cases, the Quilt application runs as a CloudFormation stack. With
Terraform, an outer Terraform layer first provisions the foundational
infrastructure (VPC, database, search cluster), then deploys the CloudFormation
stack automatically, wiring in those resources. With CloudFormation alone,
all resources are managed within a single stack.

Use CloudFormation if you want a straightforward, self-contained deployment.
Use Terraform if you need infrastructure-as-code control over the underlying
network, database, and search resources.

### CloudFormation

You can perform stack update and creation with the AWS Console, AWS CLI,
Terraform, or other means.
or other means.

> **Important:** Use Quilt-provided CloudFormation templates without modification.
> Customizing templates may result in deployment issues and can affect your service
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -188,8 +199,8 @@ which enables more granular infrastructure-as-code control.
Terraform users **must** request a compatible CloudFormation template from Quilt:

> Contact your account manager to obtain a template that works with Terraform and
includes necessary variables.

> includes necessary variables.
>
> **Important:** Use Quilt-provided Terraform modules and CloudFormation templates
> without modification. Customizing these resources may result in deployment issues
> and can affect your service agreement coverage. If you require specific
Expand Down