hook-development

Claude Code hooks automate event-driven behaviors by defining a compliant hooks.json configuration that responds to events like PreToolUse and PostToolUse to validate tool calls, enforce policies, and automate workflows.

Claude Code plugin hooks support PreToolUse, PostToolUse, Stop, SessionStart, and other events to coordinate context loading, governance checks, and cross-event automation during sessions.

You validate a hooks.json configuration by running the claude --debug command, which checks that your event hooks are compliant, use portable path references like ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}, and have appropriate timeouts.

Yes, jq is required as a dependency for processing command hooks, enabling robust error handling and auditability when parsing event payloads for validation and governance checks.

The best way to enforce security policies is implementing PreToolUse hooks that validate tool calls against governance rules, blocking dangerous commands automatically before execution while logging activity for auditing.

Yes, Claude Code plugins support both prompt-based and command hooks simultaneously, allowing you to apply validation patterns, context loading, and cross-event workflows across different event types.