Configure Git Hygiene
Set up project-local hygiene that stays fast enough to keep enabled. Stop if the directory is not a git repo.
Ask first
Propose the plan (current facts, files and config to change, verification, risks) and get approval before you:
- write, replace, or merge into a hook file;
- set a
git configvalue (local or global) or runchmod; - run
git rm --cached; - install a tool, or choose whether a hook fails or skips when a tool is missing.
If the repo is dirty, show git status --short and ask before hook or config edits.
When asked for a plan, give the whole plan in one answer. If you have not inspected the repo yet, make the inspection commands below its first step, mark current state as unverified, and still lay out the hook, Gitleaks, or .gitignore changes from the policy and how you will verify them.
Inspect
git status --short
git config --show-origin --get core.hooksPath || true
git config --show-origin --list | rg '^(file:.*\s+)?(user\.|commit\.|tag\.|pull\.|fetch\.|rerere\.|core\.hooksPath|includeIf\.)' || true
git ls-files .gitignore .pre-commit-config.yaml .gitleaks.toml 2>/dev/null || true
ls -la .git/hooks .githooks scripts/git-hooks 2>/dev/null || true
Policy
- Extend the existing hook framework. Without one, use
pre-commit, then a project-localcore.hooksPathdirectory (git config --local core.hooksPath scripts/git-hooks). - Pre-commit runs only on staged or affected files: format, lint, touched-config validation, staged Gitleaks scan. No full tests, full builds, installs, or network calls.
- Pre-push runs the full build, test, type, and lint validation, plus a broader secret scan when practical.
- Run Gitleaks with
--redact, and keep secret values out of chat and external tools. - Hooks never auto-commit or restage files unless the repo already does.
- A hook that blocks legitimate work gets tuned;
--no-verifyis not the fix. .gitignorepatterns come from real artifacts and stay narrow.
Details by topic:
- Hook scripts and pre-push input → hooks.md
- Gitleaks commands, missing tool, false positives → gitleaks.md
.gitignoreand untracking files → gitignore.md
Verify
- Hooks path:
git config --local --get core.hooksPath, then run the hook directly on safe fixture input. - Gitleaks: a staged or repo scan with
--redact, when installed. .gitignore:git check-ignore -v <path>andgit ls-files <path>.- Hook scripts: the project's shell lint, format, and test gates.
Done when the relevant build/test/lint checks pass on what you changed, or you name each check that did not run and why.
Output
GIT HYGIENE CONFIG
Scope: hooks | gitleaks | gitignore | config | guardrails
Status: PROPOSED | APPLIED | BLOCKED
Current state: <facts from git config/files>
Plan: <change and why>
Changes: <file/config edited>
Verification: <command> — pass/fail/not run
Next: <install tool, run hook, or push validation>