/hookify-help

description: Get help with the hookify system

Display comprehensive hookify documentation.

Hook System Overview

Hookify creates rule files that integrate with Claude Code's hook system to prevent unwanted behaviors. ECC's built-in runtime loads these rules automatically while plugin hooks are enabled; installing a separate Hookify plugin is not required.

Event Types

• `bash`: triggers on Bash tool use and matches command patterns
• `file`: triggers on Write/Edit tool use and matches file paths
• `stop`: triggers after each Claude response
• `prompt`: triggers on user message submission and matches input patterns
• `all`: triggers on all events

Rule File Format

Files are stored as `.claude/hookify.{name}.local.md`:

---
name: descriptive-name
enabled: true
event: bash|file|stop|prompt|all
action: block|warn
pattern: "regex pattern to match"
---
Message to display when rule triggers.
Supports multiple lines.

Commands

• `/hookify [description]` creates new rules and auto-analyzes the conversation when no description is given
• `/hookify-list` lists configured rules
• `/hookify-configure` toggles rules on or off

Pattern Tips

• use regex syntax
• for `bash`, match against the full command string
• for `file`, match against the file path
• test patterns before deploying
• avoid nested quantifiers such as `(a+)+`; the runtime rejects unsafe regexes
• every regex evaluation also has a 25 ms hard timeout
• malformed or oversized rules fail open with a diagnostic so one bad local rule cannot disable all hooks
• Git-tracked local rules require explicit `ECC_HOOKIFY_ALLOW_TRACKED=1` approval

Action Behavior

• `warn` adds the rule message to Claude's context and allows processing to continue
• `block` denies matching shell/file actions before execution
• `block` on prompt, post-tool, or stop events uses that event's structured block decision
• stop rules are skipped when `stop_hook_active` is already true to prevent loops