Don't let your verification script's full output flow back through a hook
The check was working the whole time. The conversation was what ran out of room. Measured side by side: one scan of 833 files returns 58 bytes, another returns 42KB. Here is how to put an output budget on your hooks.
Tracking Multi-Step Work in Claude Code Now That the Todo Tools Are Off by Default
Since Claude Code v2.1.233, TodoWrite and the Task tools are left out on the newer models. Here are the three branches to check before you set the opt-in variable, the PostToolUse ledger I put in their place, and the measured point where that ledger quietly corrupts under parallel agents.
You Added a Second Working Root — Now Ask How Far Your Ignore Rules and Deny Patterns Actually Reach
Adding a working root mid-session does not carry your ignore rules or deny patterns with it. Measured evidence from git check-ignore and a three-way matcher comparison, plus the scope-delta audit script I now run from the DirectoryAdded hook.
Carrying Decisions Across Compaction with PreCompact and SessionEnd Hooks
Auto-compaction does not delete your conversation. It deletes the reasons behind it. Here is a working PreCompact / SessionEnd / SessionStart hook pipeline that rescues decisions to disk and hands them to the next session, with real code and measurements.
My Claude Code Hooks Stopped Firing After an Update — the Hyphenated Matcher Exact-Match Change in v2.1.195
In Claude Code v2.1.195, hook matchers containing a hyphen switched from partial match to exact match, silently disabling an existing PreToolUse hook. Here is how I isolated the cause and how to write matchers that won't break.
Moving Cleanup and Logging into a SessionEnd Hook
How to use Claude Code's new post-session hook to automate temp-file cleanup and log writing after a session ends, with real examples from a pipeline that processes several repositories in sequence.
A SubagentStop Hook That Grades Subagent Output and Sends It Back to Be Redone
When a Claude Code subagent occasionally returns rule-breaking work, a SubagentStop hook can grade it automatically and ask for a redo. Here is a working setup with code and field notes.
Running Claude Code Hooks as a Quality Gate Without Breaking Your Pipeline
An implementation note on running Claude Code Hooks as a safety valve for automation: when to block with exit code 2 versus JSON output, how to keep formatters from looping or over-blocking, and how to log every hook firing so misfires are traceable.
Stopping Claude Code Before It Runs a Destructive Command — a PreToolUse Screening Hook
How I wired a PreToolUse hook that screens every Bash command Claude Code is about to run: the settings.json setup, the Python screening script, what exit code 2 really does, and the false positives I tuned out over several weeks.
Six Weeks Running a Claude Code Hooks + SwiftLint Quality Gate on My Indie iOS Apps
A six-week field report on wiring SwiftLint into Claude Code's PostToolUse hook to keep my indie iOS codebases consistent. Motivation, implementation, three adjustments that mattered, and the rough edges I hit along the way.
Claude Code Hook `command timed out`: Timeout Settings and Split-Execution Patterns That Actually Work
Fix Claude Code's `command timed out` hook failure without just bumping the timeout. Includes practical split-execution, detached background jobs, and a settings.json layout that keeps your session fast.
Building a Zero-Touch Code Review Environment with Claude Code Hooks
Learn how to use Claude Code's hook system to automatically review code on every tool execution. Covers PostToolUse, Stop hooks, and the pitfalls to avoid when implementing PreToolUse blockers.