Pre/Post Hooks

Claude Code hooks are shell commands that execute automatically in response to tool events. They enable validation, formatting, and guardrails without manual intervention.

When to Use

• User wants to run a command before or after a tool executes
• User asks about PreToolUse, PostToolUse, or Stop hooks
• User wants to add validation gates or blockers
• User needs to configure hooks in settings.json
• User mentions auto-running commands on file edit, git push, or session end

Core Patterns

Hook Types and Lifecycle

PreToolUse  --> Tool Executes --> PostToolUse
                                       |
                                  (session ends)
                                       |
                                     Stop

• PreToolUse: Runs before a tool call. Can block execution by returning a non-zero exit code.
• PostToolUse: Runs after a tool call completes. Used for side effects like formatting or checks.
• Stop: Runs when the agent session ends. Used for final audits or cleanup.

Hook Configuration in settings.json

Hooks live in ~/.claude/settings.json under the hooks key:

{
  "hooks": {
    "PreToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "Write|Edit",
        "command": "echo 'About to write a file'",
        "description": "Log before file writes"
      }
    ],
    "PostToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "Edit",
        "command": "npx prettier --write \"$CLAUDE_FILE_PATH\"",
        "description": "Auto-format after editing JS/TS files"
      }
    ],
    "Stop": [
      {
        "command": "echo 'Session ended'",
        "description": "Log session end"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Matcher Patterns

The matcher field filters which tool triggers the hook. It matches against tool names:

{
  "matcher": "Edit",
  "command": "..."
}

Common tool names to match:

• Write — file creation
• Edit — file modification
• Bash — shell command execution
• Read — file reading
• Glob — file search
• Grep — content search

Use pipe | for multiple matchers:

{
  "matcher": "Write|Edit",
  "command": "npx prettier --write \"$CLAUDE_FILE_PATH\""
}

Omit matcher entirely to match ALL tool calls (useful for Stop hooks).

Environment Variables in Hooks

Hooks receive context via environment variables:

Blocking with PreToolUse

A PreToolUse hook that exits non-zero blocks the tool from executing:

{
  "hooks": {
    "PreToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "Write",
        "command": "echo \"$CLAUDE_FILE_PATH\" | grep -qv '\\.md$' || (echo 'BLOCKED: Do not create markdown files' && exit 1)",
        "description": "Block creation of .md files"
      }
    ]
  }
}

PostToolUse Side Effects

Run checks or formatting after tool execution without blocking:

{
  "hooks": {
    "PostToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "Edit",
        "command": "if echo \"$CLAUDE_FILE_PATH\" | grep -q '\\.ts$'; then npx tsc --noEmit \"$CLAUDE_FILE_PATH\" 2>&1 | head -20; fi",
        "description": "Type-check TypeScript files after edit"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Stop Hook for Final Audit

{
  "hooks": {
    "Stop": [
      {
        "command": "git diff --cached --name-only | xargs grep -l 'console.log' 2>/dev/null && echo 'WARNING: console.log found in staged files'",
        "description": "Audit staged files for console.log before session ends"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Anti-Patterns

• Slow hooks on hot paths: Do not run expensive commands (full test suite, large builds) in PostToolUse on every Edit. It blocks the agent loop. Use targeted, fast checks instead.
• Blocking reads: Do not use PreToolUse to block Read or Grep calls. These are non-destructive and blocking them disrupts exploration.
• Missing error handling: Hook commands that fail silently hide problems. Always include meaningful error messages in blocking hooks.
• Hardcoded paths: Use $CLAUDE_FILE_PATH instead of hardcoding file paths. Hooks should be project-agnostic.
• Too many hooks: Each hook adds latency to every matching tool call. Keep the hook list focused on high-value checks.

Quick Reference

Config location: ~/.claude/settings.json > hooks Matcher syntax: Tool name string, pipe-separated for multiple Blocking: Only PreToolUse can block (non-zero exit code)