Push Packer build metadata to HCP Packer registry for tracking and managing image lifecycle. Use when integrating Packer builds with HCP Packer for version control and governance.
View on GitHubFebruary 1, 2026
Select agents to install to:
npx add-skill https://github.com/hashicorp/agent-skills/blob/main/packer/hcp/skills/push-to-registry/SKILL.md -a claude-code --skill push-to-registryInstallation paths:
.claude/skills/push-to-registry/# Push to HCP Packer Registry
Configure Packer templates to push build metadata to HCP Packer registry.
**Reference:** [HCP Packer Registry](https://developer.hashicorp.com/hcp/docs/packer)
> **Note:** HCP Packer is free for basic use. Builds push metadata only (not actual images), adding minimal overhead (<1 minute).
## Basic Registry Configuration
```hcl
packer {
required_version = ">= 1.7.7"
}
variable "image_name" {
type = string
default = "web-server"
}
locals {
timestamp = regex_replace(timestamp(), "[- TZ:]", "")
}
source "amazon-ebs" "ubuntu" {
region = "us-west-2"
instance_type = "t3.micro"
source_ami_filter {
filters = {
name = "ubuntu/images/*ubuntu-jammy-22.04-amd64-server-*"
}
most_recent = true
owners = ["099720109477"]
}
ssh_username = "ubuntu"
ami_name = "${var.image_name}-${local.timestamp}"
}
build {
sources = ["source.amazon-ebs.ubuntu"]
hcp_packer_registry {
bucket_name = var.image_name
description = "Ubuntu 22.04 base image for web servers"
bucket_labels = {
"os" = "ubuntu"
"team" = "platform"
}
build_labels = {
"build-time" = local.timestamp
}
}
provisioner "shell" {
inline = [
"sudo apt-get update",
"sudo apt-get upgrade -y",
]
}
}
```
## Authentication
Set environment variables before building:
```bash
export HCP_CLIENT_ID="your-service-principal-client-id"
export HCP_CLIENT_SECRET="your-service-principal-secret"
export HCP_ORGANIZATION_ID="your-org-id"
export HCP_PROJECT_ID="your-project-id"
packer build .
```
### Create HCP Service Principal
1. Navigate to HCP → Access Control (IAM)
2. Create Service Principal
3. Grant "Contributor" role on project
4. Generate client secret
5. Save client ID and secret
## Registry Configuration Options
### bucket_name (required)
The image identifier. Must stay consistent across builds!
```hcl
bucket_name = "web-server" # Keep this constant
```
### b