# Imports

Atmos supports importing other CLI configurations to break large configurations into smaller, manageable pieces. Use imports to organize configuration by section or to share common settings across projects.

## Configuration

Imports are defined in the `import` section of `atmos.yaml`:

**File:** `atmos.yaml`

```yaml
import:
  # Load the Atmos configuration from the main branch of the 'cloudposse/atmos' repository
  - "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cloudposse/atmos/refs/heads/main/atmos.yaml"
  # Then merge the configs
  - "configs.d/**/*"
  # Finally, override some logging settings
  - "./logs.yaml"
```

## Import Types

Imports can be any of the following:

- **Remote URL**

  Load configuration from a remote URL. Always use HTTPS URLs and verify the authenticity of remote sources.
  ```yaml
  import:
    - "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cloudposse/atmos/refs/heads/main/atmos.yaml"
  ```
- **Specific Path**

  Load a specific configuration file by path. Relative paths are resolved from the `atmos.yaml` directory.
  ```yaml
  import:
    - "./logs.yaml"
    - "configs/terraform.yaml"
  ```
- **Glob Patterns**

  Use wildcard globs (`*`), including recursive globs (`**`), to import multiple files. Only files ending in `.yml` or `.yaml` will be considered.
  ```yaml
  import:
    - "configs.d/**/*"
    - "*.yaml"
  ```

:::tip Pro-Tip
Atmos supports [POSIX-style greedy Globs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glob_\(programming\)) for all file names/paths (double-star/globstar `**` is supported as well)
:::

## Merge Order

Imported configurations are deep-merged in order. The last file in the list supersedes settings in preceding imports:

1. First imported file (lowest priority)
2. Second imported file
3. … (middle files)
4. Last imported file (highest priority)
5. Settings in the main `atmos.yaml` (highest priority)

## Example: Organizing by Section

Break a large configuration into section-specific files:

```
configs.d/
├── base.yaml       # Base paths and general settings
├── terraform.yaml  # Terraform component settings
├── helmfile.yaml   # Helmfile component settings
├── stacks.yaml     # Stack configuration
├── workflows.yaml  # Workflow settings
└── logs.yaml       # Logging configuration
```

**File:** `atmos.yaml`

```yaml
import:
  - "configs.d/**/*"

# Override specific settings if needed
logs:
  level: Debug
```

## Remote Imports

:::warning Be Careful with Remote Imports

- Always use HTTPS URLs (not HTTP)
- Verify the authenticity of remote sources
- Consider pinning to specific commit hashes instead of branch references for stability
  :::

**Example with pinned commit:**

```yaml
import:
  # Pinned to specific commit for reproducibility
  - "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cloudposse/atmos/abc123def456/atmos.yaml"
```

## Limitations

- Templated imports of Atmos configuration are not supported (unlike stacks)
- Only `.yml` and `.yaml` files are processed when using glob patterns

## See Also

- [CLI Configuration](/cli/configuration) — Overview of CLI configuration
- [YAML Functions](/cli/configuration#yaml-functions) — Dynamic values in configuration