Intermediate 3 min

Hooks

Automated triggers that execute code at specific workflow points

Prerequisites

  • Basic Claude Code usage
  • Shell scripting familiarity

You'll Learn

  • Understand the Claude Code workflow pipeline
  • Know when each hook type fires
  • Configure hooks in settings.json
  • Write effective hook scripts

Claude Code WorkflowStartTool CallProcessingResponseThe Claude Code Workflow
01/05
0:00 / 0:20

Available Hook Types

PreToolCall

When: Before any tool executes

Use for: Validate inputs, check permissions, log attempts

PostToolCall

When: After a tool completes

Use for: Log results, trigger follow-ups, transform outputs

Notification

When: When Claude sends a notification

Use for: Custom alerts, Slack/Discord integration

Stop

When: When the agent stops

Use for: Cleanup, final logging, state persistence

Example Configuration

// .claude/settings.json
{
  "hooks": {
    "PreToolCall": {
      "command": "./scripts/validate-tool.sh",
      "timeout": 5000
    },
    "PostToolCall": {
      "command": "./scripts/log-tool-result.sh"
    }
  }
}

đź’ˇ Pro Tips

  • 1.Keep hooks fast—they block the workflow. Use timeouts to prevent hanging.
  • 2.Hooks receive JSON context via stdin. Parse it to make decisions based on the event.
  • 3.Exit code 0 continues the workflow. Non-zero can block or modify behavior.
  • 4.Test hooks locally before relying on them in production workflows.

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