Create event-driven automations that connect Claude Code to external systems — Slack notifications, pre-commit validation, CI triggers, and more.

TutorialIntermediate

Create event-driven automations that connect Claude Code to the world outside your editor. Hooks react to lifecycle events — pre-commit validation, post-build notifications, file-change triggers, or integration with any external service.

If Skills teach Claude what to do and Minds shape how Claude thinks, Hooks are the nervous system that connects Claude Code sessions to your workflow infrastructure. Slack alerts when a task completes. Validation before every commit. Automatic syncs with your project management tool. The bridge between Claude Code and everything else.

What is a Hook?

A Hook is a HOOKS.md instruction file plus an optional hooks.json configuration, installed into .claude/hooks/. Hooks respond to Claude Code events — they run automatically when specific things happen.

Concept	What it means for you
`HOOKS.md`	Instructions describing what the hook does and how to configure it
`hooks.json`	Event-to-action mappings (which events trigger which scripts)
`vault.yaml`	The manifest — name, price, metadata
`.claude/hooks/`	Where it lives on the buyer's machine
Event-driven	Runs automatically when triggered — no manual invocation

Create your first Hook

Let's build a hook that validates commit messages follow conventional commits format before every commit.

Scaffold

$ myclaude init commit-guard --type hooks
$ cd commit-guard

Write HOOKS.md

# Commit Guard — Conventional Commits Enforcer

Validates that every commit message follows the Conventional
Commits specification before allowing the commit to proceed.

## What it checks

- Message starts with a valid type: feat, fix, refactor, docs,
  test, chore, style, perf, ci, build, revert
- Optional scope in parentheses: feat(auth): ...
- Colon and space after type/scope
- Description starts lowercase
- No period at the end of the first line
- First line under 72 characters

## Configuration

No configuration needed. Install and forget.

## Examples

Valid:
- feat: add user authentication
- fix(api): resolve race condition in checkout
- docs: update quickstart guide

Invalid:
- Added new feature (no type prefix)
- feat:missing space after colon
- Fix: capitalized description

Create hooks.json

{
  "hooks": {
    "PreCommit": [
      {
        "type": "command",
        "command": "echo '$COMMIT_MESSAGE' | head -1 | grep -qE '^(feat|fix|refactor|docs|test|chore|style|perf|ci|build|revert)(\\(.+\\))?: [a-z]'"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Wire vault.yaml

name: commit-guard
version: 1.0.0
type: hooks
title: "Commit Guard — Conventional Commits Enforcer"
description: "Pre-commit hook that validates conventional commit format. Install and forget — consistent commit history from day one."
price: 0
tags:
  - git
  - commits
  - validation
  - pre-commit

Publish

$ myclaude validate
$ myclaude publish

Hook event types

Hooks can respond to these Claude Code lifecycle events:

Event	When it fires	Use case
`PreCommit`	Before a git commit is created	Validate messages, run linters, check for secrets
`PostCommit`	After a commit succeeds	Notify team channels, update trackers
`PrePush`	Before pushing to remote	Run tests, check branch naming
`OnFileChange`	When Claude modifies a file	Trigger builds, sync state, log changes
`OnSessionStart`	When a Claude Code session begins	Load context, check environment, pull updates
`OnSessionEnd`	When a session closes	Generate summaries, sync progress, clean up

Practical examples

Slack notification on task completion:

{
  "hooks": {
    "PostCommit": [
      {
        "type": "command",
        "command": "curl -X POST $SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL -d '{\"text\": \"Committed: $COMMIT_MESSAGE\"}'"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Security scan before push:

{
  "hooks": {
    "PrePush": [
      {
        "type": "command",
        "command": "grep -rn 'API_KEY\\|SECRET\\|PASSWORD' --include='*.ts' --include='*.js' src/ && echo 'SECRETS FOUND' && exit 1 || exit 0"
      }
    ]
  }
}

What makes a great Hook

Weak	Strong
Complex setup with many config steps	Install and it works — zero configuration
Unclear about what events it responds to	Event mapping documented clearly in HOOKS.md
No error handling	Graceful failures with clear error messages
Runs slowly (blocks the user)	Fast execution — hooks should feel invisible

The best hooks are invisible. Users install them and forget they exist — until the hook catches something that would have been a problem.

Common questions

Can hooks run external scripts?

Yes. Hooks can execute any shell command available in the user's environment. Keep in mind that buyers may be on macOS, Linux, or Windows — use portable commands or document platform requirements.

Can multiple hooks respond to the same event?

Yes. Multiple hooks can listen to the same event. They execute in order. If any hook in a Pre-* event exits with a non-zero code, the action is blocked.

What's the difference between a Hook and a Workflow?

A Workflow is a sequence of steps you invoke on demand. A Hook is an automated reaction to an event. Workflows are pull (you call them). Hooks are push (they trigger themselves).

Product Categories — all 12 categories compared
What People Build — real examples of MyClaude products
Publishing Guide — the basics of publishing
Claude Code Hooks Docs — official Anthropic documentation on hooks

TutorialIntermediate

What is a Hook?

Concept	What it means for you
`HOOKS.md`	Instructions describing what the hook does and how to configure it
`hooks.json`	Event-to-action mappings (which events trigger which scripts)
`vault.yaml`	The manifest — name, price, metadata
`.claude/hooks/`	Where it lives on the buyer's machine
Event-driven	Runs automatically when triggered — no manual invocation

Create your first Hook

Let's build a hook that validates commit messages follow conventional commits format before every commit.

Scaffold

$ myclaude init commit-guard --type hooks
$ cd commit-guard

Write HOOKS.md

# Commit Guard — Conventional Commits Enforcer

Validates that every commit message follows the Conventional
Commits specification before allowing the commit to proceed.

## What it checks

- Message starts with a valid type: feat, fix, refactor, docs,
  test, chore, style, perf, ci, build, revert
- Optional scope in parentheses: feat(auth): ...
- Colon and space after type/scope
- Description starts lowercase
- No period at the end of the first line
- First line under 72 characters

## Configuration

No configuration needed. Install and forget.

## Examples

Valid:
- feat: add user authentication
- fix(api): resolve race condition in checkout
- docs: update quickstart guide

Invalid:
- Added new feature (no type prefix)
- feat:missing space after colon
- Fix: capitalized description

Create hooks.json

{
  "hooks": {
    "PreCommit": [
      {
        "type": "command",
        "command": "echo '$COMMIT_MESSAGE' | head -1 | grep -qE '^(feat|fix|refactor|docs|test|chore|style|perf|ci|build|revert)(\\(.+\\))?: [a-z]'"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Wire vault.yaml

name: commit-guard
version: 1.0.0
type: hooks
title: "Commit Guard — Conventional Commits Enforcer"
description: "Pre-commit hook that validates conventional commit format. Install and forget — consistent commit history from day one."
price: 0
tags:
  - git
  - commits
  - validation
  - pre-commit

Publish

$ myclaude validate
$ myclaude publish

Hook event types

Hooks can respond to these Claude Code lifecycle events:

Event	When it fires	Use case
`PreCommit`	Before a git commit is created	Validate messages, run linters, check for secrets
`PostCommit`	After a commit succeeds	Notify team channels, update trackers
`PrePush`	Before pushing to remote	Run tests, check branch naming
`OnFileChange`	When Claude modifies a file	Trigger builds, sync state, log changes
`OnSessionStart`	When a Claude Code session begins	Load context, check environment, pull updates
`OnSessionEnd`	When a session closes	Generate summaries, sync progress, clean up

Practical examples

Slack notification on task completion:

{
  "hooks": {
    "PostCommit": [
      {
        "type": "command",
        "command": "curl -X POST $SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL -d '{\"text\": \"Committed: $COMMIT_MESSAGE\"}'"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Security scan before push:

{
  "hooks": {
    "PrePush": [
      {
        "type": "command",
        "command": "grep -rn 'API_KEY\\|SECRET\\|PASSWORD' --include='*.ts' --include='*.js' src/ && echo 'SECRETS FOUND' && exit 1 || exit 0"
      }
    ]
  }
}

What makes a great Hook

Weak	Strong
Complex setup with many config steps	Install and it works — zero configuration
Unclear about what events it responds to	Event mapping documented clearly in HOOKS.md
No error handling	Graceful failures with clear error messages
Runs slowly (blocks the user)	Fast execution — hooks should feel invisible

The best hooks are invisible. Users install them and forget they exist — until the hook catches something that would have been a problem.

Product Categories — all 12 categories compared
What People Build — real examples of MyClaude products
Publishing Guide — the basics of publishing
Claude Code Hooks Docs — official Anthropic documentation on hooks

Building Hooks

What is a Hook?

Create your first Hook

Scaffold

Write HOOKS.md

Create hooks.json

Wire vault.yaml

Publish

Hook event types

Practical examples

What makes a great Hook

Common questions

Can hooks run external scripts?

Can multiple hooks respond to the same event?

What's the difference between a Hook and a Workflow?

On this page

Building Hooks

What is a Hook?

Create your first Hook

Scaffold

Write HOOKS.md

Create hooks.json

Wire vault.yaml

Publish

Hook event types

Practical examples

What makes a great Hook

Common questions

Can hooks run external scripts?

Can multiple hooks respond to the same event?

What's the difference between a Hook and a Workflow?

On this page