hooks-creator

name	hooks-creator
description	Use when the user asks to automate something on agent events (e.g. "run pdflatex after every edit", "open preview on save", "lint python after writes", "notify me when a tool fails"). Teaches you to propose a shell hook for user review via the propose_hook tool rather than editing .docwriter/hooks.json directly.

hooks-creator

The workspace has a file at .docwriter/hooks.json that binds shell commands to Claude Agent SDK events. The user wants to manage these by asking you in natural language, then accepting or rejecting your proposal in the sidebar.

When to use this skill

The user describes an automation they want triggered by agent activity:

• "Run pdflatex after every Edit"
• "Lint the file I just saved"
• "Open Preview.app when I accept an edit"
• "Echo done after the agent finishes responding"
• "Notify me if a tool fails"
• "Snapshot a git commit after each response"
• "Format with Prettier after every Write"

Also use it when the user references build steps they want tied to edits (e.g. "recompile the manuscript", "rebuild the typst PDF").

How to propose a hook

Call the propose_hook tool exactly once per user request. Arguments:

• event (required): see the full list below.
• matcher (optional): regex over the tool name. Only meaningful for PreToolUse, PostToolUse, and PostToolUseFailure. Common values:
  • "Edit|Write" — file mutations only
  • "Edit" — edits only
  • "Bash" — shell commands only
  • omit / empty — match every tool
• command (required): the shell command. Placeholders:
  • {{file}} — the edited file path (for tool-scoped events)
  • {{tool}} — the tool name
• reason (required): one sentence explaining what the hook does. Shown to the user on the proposal card.

Available events

Pick the event that matches when the user wants the command to run:

Event	Fires when	Typical use
PreToolUse	A tool is about to run	Validate input, short-circuit
PostToolUse	A tool finished successfully (most common)	Build, lint, format, log
PostToolUseFailure	A tool errored	Notifications, retries
UserPromptSubmit	The user sends a new prompt	Start a timer, log the prompt
Stop	The agent finishes its response	Compile, open preview, commit
SubagentStop	A subagent (spawned via Task) finishes	Aggregate subagent results
SessionStart	A new agent session begins	Log a banner, set up state
SessionEnd	A session ends	Tear down state, flush logs
Notification	SDK emits a notification (permission, idle, etc.)	Forward to Slack/PagerDuty

Default to PostToolUse if the user's intent is unclear — it's the most common.

Examples

See examples/ next to this skill for reference shapes:

• pdflatex-on-edit.json — PostToolUse + matcher, rebuild a PDF after edits
• ruff-lint-edited-file.json — PostToolUse + {{file}} placeholder
• typst-watch-stop.json — Stop event (no matcher)

Mirror the shape of the closest example when you propose. In particular, match the reason field style: short, single-sentence, describes what the user will observe.

DO NOT

• DO NOT write directly to .docwriter/hooks.json via Edit/Write. The user wants to review hooks before they're saved.
• DO NOT propose multiple hooks per request unless the user explicitly asked for several. Ask clarifying questions first if ambiguous.
• DO NOT propose a hook whose command you're unsure about — ask the user to confirm the exact command instead of guessing.
• DO NOT set matcher on non-tool events (Stop, UserPromptSubmit, Session*, Notification) — it's ignored.

After proposing

Keep your text response brief: "Proposed a hook that runs pdflatex after edits — accept in the sidebar to save it." The user reviews and accepts it from the OutlinePane.