Agent Skills: Hooks System

Hooks System

Version: 1.0.0 Purpose: Lifecycle hook patterns for validation, automation, security, and metrics in Claude Code workflows Status: Production Ready

Overview

Hooks are lifecycle callbacks that execute at specific points in the Claude Code workflow. They enable:

• Validation (block dangerous operations before execution)
• Automation (auto-format code after file changes)
• Security (enforce safety policies on commands and tools)
• Metrics (track tool usage, performance, costs)
• Quality Control (run tests after implementation changes)
• Context Injection (load project-specific context at session start)

Hooks transform Claude Code from a reactive assistant into a proactive, policy-enforced development environment.

Hook Types Reference

Claude Code provides 7 hook types that fire at different lifecycle stages:

| Hook Type | When It Fires | Receives | Can Modify | Use Cases | |-----------|---------------|----------|------------|-----------| | PreToolUse | Before tool execution | Tool name, input | Tool input, can block | Validation, security checks, permission gates | | PostToolUse | After tool completion | Tool name, input, output | Nothing (read-only) | Auto-format, metrics, notifications | | UserPromptSubmit | User submits prompt | Prompt text | Nothing (read-only) | Complexity analysis, model routing, context injection | | SessionStart | Session begins | Session metadata | Nothing (read-only) | Load project context, initialize environment | | Stop | Main session stops | Session metadata | Nothing (read-only) | Completion validation, cleanup, final reports | | SubagentStop | Sub-agent (Task) completes | Task metadata, output | Nothing (read-only) | Task metrics, result validation | | Notification | System notification | Notification data | Nothing (read-only) | Alert logging, external integrations | | PermissionRequest | Tool needs permission | Tool name, action | Nothing (read-only) | Custom approval workflows |

Key Concepts:

• PreToolUse: Only hook that can block or modify execution
• PostToolUse: Cannot modify output, but can trigger follow-up actions
• Matcher: Regex pattern to filter which tools trigger the hook
• Hooks Array: Commands to execute when hook fires (can run multiple)

Hook Configuration in settings.json

Hooks are configured in .claude/settings.json under the "hooks" key:

Basic Structure

{
  "hooks": {
    "PreToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "^(Write|Edit)$",
        "hooks": ["echo 'File change detected'"]
      }
    ],
    "PostToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "^(Write|Edit)$",
        "hooks": ["bun run format"]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Configuration Properties

matcher (required):

• Regex pattern to match tool names
• Uses JavaScript regex syntax
• Examples:
  • "^Write$" - Matches only Write tool
  • "^(Write|Edit)$" - Matches Write or Edit
  • ".*" - Matches all tools (use sparingly)
  • "^Bash$" - Matches Bash tool

hooks (required):

• Array of commands to execute
• Commands run sequentially
• Can be shell commands or custom scripts
• Each command runs in its own shell context

continueOnError (optional, default: true):

• true: Continue workflow if hook fails
• false: Stop workflow on hook failure
• Use false for critical validation hooks

timeout (optional, default: 30000ms):

• Maximum execution time for hook command
• In milliseconds (30000 = 30 seconds)
• Hook is killed if timeout exceeded

Advanced Configuration Example

{
  "hooks": {
    "PreToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "^Write$",
        "hooks": [
          "node scripts/validate-file.js",
          "node scripts/check-secrets.js"
        ],
        "continueOnError": false,
        "timeout": 10000
      }
    ],
    "PostToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "^(Write|Edit)$",
        "hooks": ["bun run format", "bun run lint --fix"],
        "continueOnError": true,
        "timeout": 60000
      }
    ],
    "UserPromptSubmit": [
      {
        "matcher": ".*",
        "hooks": ["node scripts/analyze-complexity.js"]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Ready-To-Use Hook Templates

Template 1: File Protection Hook

Purpose: Block writes to sensitive files (secrets, credentials, config)

Hook Type: PreToolUse

Matcher: "^(Write|Edit)$"

Configuration:

{
  "hooks": {
    "PreToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "^(Write|Edit)$",
        "hooks": ["node scripts/protect-files.js"],
        "continueOnError": false,
        "timeout": 5000
      }
    ]
  }
}

Script: scripts/protect-files.js

#!/usr/bin/env node

const PROTECTED_PATTERNS = [
  /\.env$/,
  /\.env\./,
  /credentials\.json$/,
  /secrets\.yaml$/,
  /id_rsa$/,
  /\.pem$/,
  /\.key$/
];

const args = process.argv.slice(2);
const filePath = args[0] || '';

const isProtected = PROTECTED_PATTERNS.some(pattern => pattern.test(filePath));

if (isProtected) {
  console.error(`❌ BLOCKED: Cannot modify protected file: ${filePath}`);
  process.exit(1);
}

console.log(`✅ File write allowed: ${filePath}`);
process.exit(0);

When to Use:

• Protecting credentials and secrets
• Preventing accidental config file modifications
• Enforcing file-level permissions in team workflows

Template 2: Auto-Format Hook

Purpose: Automatically format code after file changes

Hook Type: PostToolUse

Matcher: "^(Write|Edit)$"

Configuration:

{
  "hooks": {
    "PostToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "^(Write|Edit)$",
        "hooks": [
          "bun run format",
          "bun run lint --fix"
        ],
        "continueOnError": true,
        "timeout": 60000
      }
    ]
  }
}

package.json Scripts:

{
  "scripts": {
    "format": "prettier --write .",
    "lint": "eslint . --ext .ts,.tsx,.js,.jsx"
  }
}

When to Use:

• Maintaining consistent code style
• Automatic linting and formatting
• Reducing manual formatting overhead
• Enforcing team style guidelines

Benefits:

• Every file change is auto-formatted
• No manual "run prettier" steps needed
• Consistent style across all changes
• Catches lint errors immediately

Template 3: Security Command Blocker

Purpose: Block dangerous bash commands (rm -rf /, force push, etc.)

Hook Type: PreToolUse

Matcher: "^Bash$"

Configuration:

{
  "hooks": {
    "PreToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "^Bash$",
        "hooks": ["node scripts/security-check.js"],
        "continueOnError": false,
        "timeout": 5000
      }
    ]
  }
}

Script: scripts/security-check.js

#!/usr/bin/env node

const DANGEROUS_COMMANDS = [
  /rm\s+-rf\s+\//,           // rm -rf /
  /rm\s+-rf\s+~\//,          // rm -rf ~/
  /git\s+push\s+.*--force/,   // git push --force
  /git\s+reset\s+--hard/,     // git reset --hard (main/master)
  /chmod\s+777/,              // chmod 777
  /sudo\s+rm/,                // sudo rm
  /:\(\)\{\s*:\|:&\s*\};:/,   // fork bomb
  /dd\s+if=.*of=\/dev\//,     // dd to device
  /mkfs/,                     // format filesystem
  />\s*\/dev\/sd/             // redirect to disk
];

const args = process.argv.slice(2);
const command = args.join(' ');

const isDangerous = DANGEROUS_COMMANDS.some(pattern => pattern.test(command));

if (isDangerous) {
  console.error(`❌ BLOCKED: Dangerous command detected: ${command}`);
  console.error('This command could cause data loss or system damage.');
  process.exit(1);
}

console.log(`✅ Command allowed: ${command}`);
process.exit(0);

When to Use:

• Production environments
• Shared development machines
• Preventing accidental destructive commands
• Enforcing security policies

Protected Against:

• Recursive deletion of root or home directories
• Force pushing to protected branches
• Destructive git operations
• System-level permission changes
• Fork bombs and other malicious commands

Template 4: Task Complexity Analyzer

Purpose: Analyze prompt complexity and suggest appropriate model tier

Hook Type: UserPromptSubmit

Matcher: ".*" (all prompts)

Configuration:

{
  "hooks": {
    "UserPromptSubmit": [
      {
        "matcher": ".*",
        "hooks": ["node scripts/analyze-complexity.js"]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Script: scripts/analyze-complexity.js

#!/usr/bin/env node

const fs = require('fs');

const args = process.argv.slice(2);
const prompt = args.join(' ');

// Complexity scoring
let score = 0;

// Length-based scoring
if (prompt.length > 500) score += 2;
if (prompt.length > 1000) score += 3;

// Keyword-based scoring
const complexKeywords = [
  'implement', 'refactor', 'architect', 'design',
  'optimize', 'performance', 'security', 'scale'
];
const simpleKeywords = ['fix', 'update', 'change', 'modify'];

complexKeywords.forEach(keyword => {
  if (prompt.toLowerCase().includes(keyword)) score += 2;
});

simpleKeywords.forEach(keyword => {
  if (prompt.toLowerCase().includes(keyword)) score -= 1;
});

// Determine recommended model
let recommendation;
if (score >= 5) {
  recommendation = 'Claude Opus 4.5 (complex task)';
} else if (score >= 2) {
  recommendation = 'Claude Sonnet 4.5 (medium task)';
} else {
  recommendation = 'Claude Haiku 3.5 (simple task)';
}

// Log recommendation
const logEntry = {
  timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
  prompt: prompt.substring(0, 100),
  score,
  recommendation
};

fs.appendFileSync('.claude/complexity-log.json', JSON.stringify(logEntry) + '\n');

console.log(`Complexity Score: ${score} - Recommended: ${recommendation}`);
process.exit(0);

When to Use:

• Cost optimization (use cheaper models for simple tasks)
• Automatic model routing based on task complexity
• Performance tracking (are prompts getting more complex?)
• Budget management (track usage patterns)

Template 5: Metrics Collector

Purpose: Log tool usage to track productivity and patterns

Hook Type: PostToolUse

Matcher: ".*" (all tools)

Configuration:

{
  "hooks": {
    "PostToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": ".*",
        "hooks": ["node scripts/collect-metrics.js"]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Script: scripts/collect-metrics.js

#!/usr/bin/env node

const fs = require('fs');

const args = process.argv.slice(2);
const toolName = args[0] || 'unknown';
const duration = args[1] || '0';

const metric = {
  timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
  tool: toolName,
  duration: parseInt(duration),
  session: process.env.CLAUDE_SESSION_ID || 'unknown'
};

// Append to metrics file
const metricsPath = '.claude/metrics.json';
fs.appendFileSync(metricsPath, JSON.stringify(metric) + '\n');

// Calculate daily stats
const today = new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0];
const metrics = fs.readFileSync(metricsPath, 'utf-8')
  .split('\n')
  .filter(line => line)
  .map(line => JSON.parse(line))
  .filter(m => m.timestamp.startsWith(today));

const toolCounts = metrics.reduce((acc, m) => {
  acc[m.tool] = (acc[m.tool] || 0) + 1;
  return acc;
}, {});

console.log(`Today's usage: ${JSON.stringify(toolCounts)}`);
process.exit(0);

When to Use:

• Tracking tool usage patterns
• Performance monitoring
• Cost analysis (which tools are expensive?)
• Productivity metrics (how many files changed today?)

Metrics Collected:

• Tool name (Write, Edit, Bash, etc.)
• Execution duration
• Timestamp
• Session ID

Template 6: Test Runner Hook

Purpose: Automatically run tests when test files are modified

Hook Type: PostToolUse

Matcher: "^(Write|Edit)$"

Configuration:

{
  "hooks": {
    "PostToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "^(Write|Edit)$",
        "hooks": ["node scripts/auto-test.js"]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Script: scripts/auto-test.js

#!/usr/bin/env node

const { execSync } = require('child_process');
const path = require('path');

const args = process.argv.slice(2);
const filePath = args[0] || '';

// Only run tests for test files
const isTestFile = /\.(test|spec)\.(ts|tsx|js|jsx)$/.test(filePath);

if (!isTestFile) {
  console.log('Not a test file, skipping auto-test');
  process.exit(0);
}

console.log(`Running tests for: ${filePath}`);

try {
  // Run the specific test file
  const output = execSync(`bun test ${filePath}`, {
    encoding: 'utf-8',
    timeout: 30000
  });

  console.log(output);
  console.log('✅ Tests passed');
  process.exit(0);
} catch (error) {
  console.error('❌ Tests failed:');
  console.error(error.stdout || error.message);
  process.exit(0); // Don't block workflow, just notify
}

When to Use:

• Test-driven development workflows
• Immediate feedback on test changes
• Catching broken tests before commit
• Continuous validation during implementation

Template 7: Session Context Injector

Purpose: Load project-specific context at session start

Hook Type: SessionStart

Matcher: ".*"

Configuration:

{
  "hooks": {
    "SessionStart": [
      {
        "matcher": ".*",
        "hooks": ["node scripts/load-context.js"]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Script: scripts/load-context.js

#!/usr/bin/env node

const fs = require('fs');
const path = require('path');

// Load project context files
const contextFiles = [
  'CLAUDE.md',
  'README.md',
  'ARCHITECTURE.md',
  '.claude/context.json'
];

const context = contextFiles
  .filter(file => fs.existsSync(file))
  .map(file => {
    const content = fs.readFileSync(file, 'utf-8');
    return `--- ${file} ---\n${content}\n`;
  })
  .join('\n');

// Write to session context file
const sessionContext = '.claude/session-context.txt';
fs.writeFileSync(sessionContext, context);

console.log('Session context loaded:');
contextFiles.forEach(file => {
  if (fs.existsSync(file)) {
    console.log(`  ✅ ${file}`);
  }
});

process.exit(0);

When to Use:

• Ensuring Claude has project context every session
• Loading team guidelines and conventions
• Auto-loading architecture documentation
• Reducing need for manual context sharing

Template 8: Completion Evaluator

Purpose: Validate that deliverables were produced before session ends

Hook Type: Stop

Matcher: ".*"

Configuration:

{
  "hooks": {
    "Stop": [
      {
        "matcher": ".*",
        "hooks": ["node scripts/evaluate-completion.js"]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Script: scripts/evaluate-completion.js

#!/usr/bin/env node

const fs = require('fs');
const { execSync } = require('child_process');

// Check if deliverables directory exists
const deliverablesPath = 'ai-docs/deliverables';

if (!fs.existsSync(deliverablesPath)) {
  console.log('⚠️  Warning: No deliverables directory found');
  process.exit(0);
}

// Count deliverables
const files = fs.readdirSync(deliverablesPath);

if (files.length === 0) {
  console.log('⚠️  Warning: No deliverables produced in this session');
} else {
  console.log(`✅ Session completed with ${files.length} deliverables:`);
  files.forEach(file => console.log(`  - ${file}`));
}

// Get git status
try {
  const status = execSync('git status --short', { encoding: 'utf-8' });
  const changedFiles = status.split('\n').filter(line => line).length;
  console.log(`📝 ${changedFiles} files changed`);
} catch (error) {
  // Not a git repo, skip
}

process.exit(0);

When to Use:

• Ensuring deliverables are produced
• Session quality validation
• Tracking productivity (files changed, deliverables created)
• Alerting when session ends without output

Hook Chains

Execution Flow

PreToolUse → Tool Execution → PostToolUse

1. PreToolUse hooks run first

   • Can modify tool input
   • Can block execution (exit code != 0)
   • If blocked, tool never executes

2. Tool executes

   • Only if PreToolUse passed
   • Normal tool behavior

3. PostToolUse hooks run after

   • Cannot modify tool output
   • Cannot block tool (already executed)
   • Can trigger follow-up actions

Multiple Hooks on Same Event

When multiple hooks are configured for the same event, they execute sequentially in array order:

{
  "hooks": {
    "PostToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "^(Write|Edit)$",
        "hooks": [
          "bun run format",      // Runs first
          "bun run lint --fix",  // Runs second
          "bun test"             // Runs third
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Execution Order:

1. bun run format executes
2. Wait for completion (or timeout)
3. bun run lint --fix executes
4. Wait for completion (or timeout)
5. bun test executes
6. PostToolUse complete

Error Handling:

• If continueOnError: true (default), failure in step 1 doesn't stop step 2
• If continueOnError: false, failure in step 1 stops entire chain

Combining Hooks for Comprehensive Workflows

Example: Full-Stack Quality Chain

{
  "hooks": {
    "PreToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "^(Write|Edit)$",
        "hooks": ["node scripts/protect-files.js"],
        "continueOnError": false
      },
      {
        "matcher": "^Bash$",
        "hooks": ["node scripts/security-check.js"],
        "continueOnError": false
      }
    ],
    "PostToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "^(Write|Edit)$",
        "hooks": [
          "bun run format",
          "bun run lint --fix",
          "node scripts/auto-test.js",
          "node scripts/collect-metrics.js"
        ],
        "continueOnError": true
      }
    ],
    "UserPromptSubmit": [
      {
        "matcher": ".*",
        "hooks": ["node scripts/analyze-complexity.js"]
      }
    ],
    "Stop": [
      {
        "matcher": ".*",
        "hooks": ["node scripts/evaluate-completion.js"]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Workflow:

1. User submits prompt → Complexity analyzed
2. User requests file write → File protection checked (PreToolUse)
3. Write tool executes → File written
4. PostToolUse chain runs:
   • Format code with Prettier
   • Fix lint issues
   • Run relevant tests
   • Log metrics
5. User requests bash command → Security check (PreToolUse)
6. Session ends → Completion evaluation

This creates a fully automated quality pipeline with zero manual intervention.

Best Practices

Do:

• ✅ Use PreToolUse for validation - It's the only hook that can block execution
• ✅ Set appropriate timeouts - Hooks should complete quickly (5-30 seconds)
• ✅ Log hook activity - Track what hooks are doing for debugging
• ✅ Use specific matchers - Avoid .* matcher when possible (reduces overhead)
• ✅ Exit with proper codes - Exit 0 for success, non-zero for failure
• ✅ Make hooks idempotent - Safe to run multiple times
• ✅ Test hooks independently - Run hook scripts manually before adding to config
• ✅ Use continueOnError wisely - False for critical validation, true for nice-to-have

Don't:

• ❌ Don't use PostToolUse for validation - Tool already executed, too late to block
• ❌ Don't run expensive operations - Hooks should be fast (<30s)
• ❌ Don't rely on environment state - Each hook runs in fresh shell
• ❌ Don't modify files in PreToolUse - Modifying files during validation causes confusion
• ❌ Don't use .* matcher everywhere - Creates overhead on every tool call
• ❌ Don't swallow errors silently - Log errors even with continueOnError: true

Performance Tips:

Fast Hooks (<5s):

• File validation checks
• Regex-based security checks
• Simple logging/metrics
• Quick script executions

Medium Hooks (5-30s):

• Code formatting (prettier)
• Linting with auto-fix
• Unit test execution
• Complexity analysis

Slow Hooks (>30s) - AVOID:

• Full test suite execution (use PostToolUse with specific test files instead)
• External API calls with retries
• Large file processing
• Heavy computations

Optimization:

• Use hook matchers to limit when hooks run
• Run heavy operations in background (don't block workflow)
• Cache results when possible
• Use incremental tools (only format changed files)

Examples

Example 1: Full-Stack Development Hook Setup

Scenario: React/TypeScript project with comprehensive quality automation

Configuration:

{
  "hooks": {
    "PreToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "^(Write|Edit)$",
        "hooks": ["node scripts/protect-files.js"],
        "continueOnError": false,
        "timeout": 5000
      },
      {
        "matcher": "^Bash$",
        "hooks": ["node scripts/security-check.js"],
        "continueOnError": false,
        "timeout": 5000
      }
    ],
    "PostToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "^(Write|Edit)$",
        "hooks": [
          "bun run format",
          "bun run lint --fix",
          "node scripts/auto-test.js"
        ],
        "continueOnError": true,
        "timeout": 60000
      }
    ],
    "UserPromptSubmit": [
      {
        "matcher": ".*",
        "hooks": ["node scripts/analyze-complexity.js"]
      }
    ],
    "SessionStart": [
      {
        "matcher": ".*",
        "hooks": ["node scripts/load-context.js"]
      }
    ],
    "Stop": [
      {
        "matcher": ".*",
        "hooks": ["node scripts/evaluate-completion.js"]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Workflow:

1. Session starts → Project context loaded (CLAUDE.md, README.md, ARCHITECTURE.md)
2. User: "Implement login feature" → Complexity analyzed (score: 5, recommend Sonnet)
3. Claude writes LoginForm.tsx →
   • PreToolUse: File protection check passes ✅
   • Write tool executes
   • PostToolUse chain:
     • Format with Prettier ✅
     • Lint with ESLint ✅
     • Run LoginForm.test.tsx ✅
4. User: "Run database migration" →
   • PreToolUse: Security check blocks rm -rf / in migration script ❌
   • Error shown to user
5. Session ends → Completion evaluation: 5 files changed, 3 deliverables created

Benefits:

• Zero manual formatting/linting
• Immediate test feedback
• Dangerous commands blocked
• Full audit trail via metrics
• Consistent quality across all changes

Example 2: Security-Hardened Hook Configuration

Scenario: Production environment with strict security policies

Configuration:

{
  "hooks": {
    "PreToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": "^Write$",
        "hooks": [
          "node scripts/security/check-secrets.js",
          "node scripts/security/validate-permissions.js",
          "node scripts/security/check-file-size.js"
        ],
        "continueOnError": false,
        "timeout": 10000
      },
      {
        "matcher": "^Edit$",
        "hooks": [
          "node scripts/security/backup-file.js",
          "node scripts/security/check-secrets.js"
        ],
        "continueOnError": false,
        "timeout": 10000
      },
      {
        "matcher": "^Bash$",
        "hooks": [
          "node scripts/security/command-whitelist.js",
          "node scripts/security/check-dangerous.js"
        ],
        "continueOnError": false,
        "timeout": 5000
      }
    ],
    "PostToolUse": [
      {
        "matcher": ".*",
        "hooks": ["node scripts/security/audit-log.js"],
        "continueOnError": true
      }
    ]
  }
}

Security Layers:

1. Secrets Detection - Blocks files containing API keys, passwords, tokens
2. Permission Validation - Ensures Claude can only write to allowed directories
3. File Size Limits - Prevents writing huge files (>10MB)
4. File Backups - Auto-backup before editing critical files
5. Command Whitelist - Only allow pre-approved bash commands
6. Dangerous Command Blocker - Block rm, format, force push, etc.
7. Audit Logging - Log every tool use to audit trail

Example Script: scripts/security/check-secrets.js

#!/usr/bin/env node

const fs = require('fs');

const SECRETS_PATTERNS = [
  /api[_-]?key["\s:=]+[a-zA-Z0-9]{20,}/i,
  /password["\s:=]+.{8,}/i,
  /bearer\s+[a-zA-Z0-9\-._~+/]+=*/i,
  /AIza[0-9A-Za-z-_]{35}/,              // Google API Key
  /sk-[a-zA-Z0-9]{48}/,                  // OpenAI API Key
  /xox[baprs]-[0-9a-zA-Z-]{10,}/,       // Slack Token
  /github_pat_[a-zA-Z0-9]{82}/          // GitHub PAT
];

const args = process.argv.slice(2);
const filePath = args[0];
const content = fs.readFileSync(filePath, 'utf-8');

const foundSecret = SECRETS_PATTERNS.find(pattern => pattern.test(content));

if (foundSecret) {
  console.error('❌ BLOCKED: File contains potential secrets');
  console.error(`Pattern matched: ${foundSecret}`);
  console.error('Remove secrets before writing to file.');
  process.exit(1);
}

console.log('✅ No secrets detected');
process.exit(0);

Example 3: Multi-Agent Workflow with Routing Hooks

Scenario: Complex workflows that route to different agents based on prompt

Configuration:

{
  "hooks": {
    "UserPromptSubmit": [
      {
        "matcher": ".*",
        "hooks": ["node scripts/routing/analyze-intent.js"]
      }
    ],
    "SubagentStop": [
      {
        "matcher": ".*",
        "hooks": ["node scripts/routing/collect-results.js"]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Script: scripts/routing/analyze-intent.js

#!/usr/bin/env node

const fs = require('fs');

const args = process.argv.slice(2);
const prompt = args.join(' ');

// Intent classification
const intents = {
  'ui-design': ['design', 'figma', 'mockup', 'ui', 'ux', 'interface'],
  'backend': ['api', 'database', 'server', 'endpoint', 'authentication'],
  'testing': ['test', 'spec', 'coverage', 'e2e', 'unit test'],
  'devops': ['deploy', 'docker', 'ci/cd', 'kubernetes', 'pipeline'],
  'review': ['review', 'audit', 'analyze', 'check quality']
};

let detectedIntent = 'general';
let maxScore = 0;

for (const [intent, keywords] of Object.entries(intents)) {
  const score = keywords.filter(kw =>
    prompt.toLowerCase().includes(kw)
  ).length;

  if (score > maxScore) {
    maxScore = score;
    detectedIntent = intent;
  }
}

// Write routing decision
const routingDecision = {
  timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
  prompt: prompt.substring(0, 100),
  intent: detectedIntent,
  confidence: maxScore
};

fs.writeFileSync('.claude/routing-decision.json', JSON.stringify(routingDecision));

console.log(`Intent: ${detectedIntent} (confidence: ${maxScore})`);

// Suggest agent
const agentMap = {
  'ui-design': 'designer',
  'backend': 'backend-developer',
  'testing': 'test-architect',
  'devops': 'devops-engineer',
  'review': 'code-reviewer'
};

const suggestedAgent = agentMap[detectedIntent] || 'developer';
console.log(`Suggested agent: ${suggestedAgent}`);

process.exit(0);

Script: scripts/routing/collect-results.js

#!/usr/bin/env node

const fs = require('fs');

const args = process.argv.slice(2);
const agentName = args[0];
const status = args[1] || 'completed';

// Load previous results
let results = [];
if (fs.existsSync('.claude/agent-results.json')) {
  results = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('.claude/agent-results.json', 'utf-8'));
}

// Add new result
results.push({
  timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
  agent: agentName,
  status: status
});

fs.writeFileSync('.claude/agent-results.json', JSON.stringify(results, null, 2));

console.log(`Collected result from ${agentName}: ${status}`);
console.log(`Total agents completed: ${results.length}`);

process.exit(0);

Workflow:

1. User: "Design login page and implement API"
2. UserPromptSubmit hook:
   • Analyzes intent: Mixed (ui-design + backend)
   • Suggests: Use orchestrator to coordinate multiple agents
3. Orchestrator launches:
   • designer agent (for UI)
   • backend-developer agent (for API)
4. SubagentStop hook fires after each:
   • designer completes → Result collected
   • backend-developer completes → Result collected
5. Final report: 2 agents completed successfully

Troubleshooting

Problem: Hook never fires

Cause: Matcher regex doesn't match tool name

Solution: Test regex pattern

# Test if matcher matches tool name
node -e "console.log(/^Write$/.test('Write'))"  # Should print: true
node -e "console.log(/^write$/.test('Write'))"  # Should print: false (case-sensitive)

Fix:

{
  "matcher": "^Write$"   // Correct (matches Write exactly)
  // NOT "^write$"       // Wrong (lowercase doesn't match)
}

Problem: Hook blocks workflow unintentionally

Cause: Hook script exits with non-zero code (failure)

Solution: Debug hook script independently

# Run hook script manually
node scripts/protect-files.js /path/to/file
echo $?  # Should print 0 for success, 1 for failure

Fix: Ensure script exits with correct code

// ❌ Wrong - implicit exit code
if (isProtected) {
  console.error('File protected');
  // Missing process.exit()
}

// ✅ Correct - explicit exit codes
if (isProtected) {
  console.error('File protected');
  process.exit(1);  // Non-zero = failure
}

console.log('File allowed');
process.exit(0);  // Zero = success

Problem: Hook times out

Cause: Hook script takes too long (>30s default)

Solution: Increase timeout or optimize script

{
  "matcher": "^(Write|Edit)$",
  "hooks": ["bun test"],
  "timeout": 120000  // Increase to 2 minutes
}

Better Solution: Optimize script to run faster

// ❌ Slow - runs ALL tests
execSync('bun test');

// ✅ Fast - runs only relevant test file
const testFile = filePath.replace(/\.ts$/, '.test.ts');
if (fs.existsSync(testFile)) {
  execSync(`bun test ${testFile}`);
}

Problem: Hooks interfere with each other

Cause: Multiple hooks modify same files simultaneously

Solution: Use proper ordering in hooks array

{
  "PostToolUse": [
    {
      "matcher": "^(Write|Edit)$",
      "hooks": [
        "bun run format",     // First: format
        "bun run lint --fix"  // Second: lint (after format)
        // NOT both at same time
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Explanation: Hooks in array run sequentially, not parallel. This ensures format completes before lint starts.

Summary

Hooks enable proactive, policy-enforced development in Claude Code:

• 7 Hook Types - PreToolUse, PostToolUse, UserPromptSubmit, SessionStart, Stop, SubagentStop, Notification, PermissionRequest
• PreToolUse = Validation - Only hook that can block execution
• PostToolUse = Automation - Auto-format, metrics, notifications
• Matchers = Filtering - Regex patterns to control when hooks fire
• Chains = Workflows - Multiple hooks execute sequentially
• Templates = Ready-to-Use - 8 production-ready templates for common needs

Use Cases:

• Security (block dangerous commands, detect secrets)
• Quality (auto-format, lint, test after changes)
• Metrics (track tool usage, performance, costs)
• Context (load project docs at session start)
• Validation (ensure deliverables produced)

Master hooks and transform Claude Code into a zero-overhead, fully automated development environment.

Inspired By:

• Frontend plugin auto-format hooks (prettier + eslint on every file change)
• Code Analysis plugin security checks (dangerous command detection)
• Orchestration plugin metrics collection (tool usage tracking)
• Multi-agent workflows with routing hooks (intent-based agent selection)