Claude Code Hooks — I/O API Reference (January 2026)

Claude Code Hooks — I/O API Reference (January 2026)

JSON schemas for hook stdin input and stdout output per event. For hook system fundamentals, activate Skill(command: "plugin-creator:hooks-core-reference"). For working examples, activate Skill(command: "plugin-creator:hooks-patterns").

Hook Input (JSON via stdin)

Common Fields (All Events)

{
  "session_id": "abc123",
  "transcript_path": "/path/to/session.jsonl",
  "cwd": "/current/working/directory",
  "permission_mode": "default",
  "hook_event_name": "PreToolUse"
}

permission_mode values: "default", "plan", "acceptEdits", "dontAsk", "bypassPermissions"

PreToolUse Input

{
  "session_id": "abc123",
  "transcript_path": "/path/to/session.jsonl",
  "cwd": "/path/to/project",
  "permission_mode": "default",
  "hook_event_name": "PreToolUse",
  "tool_name": "Bash",
  "tool_input": {
    "command": "psql -c 'SELECT * FROM users'",
    "description": "Query the users table",
    "timeout": 120000
  },
  "tool_use_id": "toolu_01ABC123"
}

Tool-specific tool_input fields:

PostToolUse Input

{
  "session_id": "abc123",
  "transcript_path": "/path/to/session.jsonl",
  "cwd": "/path/to/project",
  "permission_mode": "default",
  "hook_event_name": "PostToolUse",
  "tool_name": "Write",
  "tool_input": {
    "file_path": "/path/to/file.txt",
    "content": "file content"
  },
  "tool_response": {
    "filePath": "/path/to/file.txt",
    "success": true
  },
  "tool_use_id": "toolu_01ABC123"
}

Notification Input

{
  "session_id": "abc123",
  "transcript_path": "/path/to/session.jsonl",
  "cwd": "/path/to/project",
  "permission_mode": "default",
  "hook_event_name": "Notification",
  "message": "Claude needs your permission to use Bash",
  "notification_type": "permission_prompt"
}

UserPromptSubmit Input

{
  "session_id": "abc123",
  "transcript_path": "/path/to/session.jsonl",
  "cwd": "/path/to/project",
  "permission_mode": "default",
  "hook_event_name": "UserPromptSubmit",
  "prompt": "Write a function to calculate factorial"
}

Stop Input

{
  "session_id": "abc123",
  "transcript_path": "/path/to/session.jsonl",
  "cwd": "/path/to/project",
  "permission_mode": "default",
  "hook_event_name": "Stop",
  "stop_hook_active": true
}

stop_hook_active: True when Claude is already continuing due to a stop hook. Check this to prevent infinite loops.

SubagentStart Input

{
  "session_id": "abc123",
  "transcript_path": "/path/to/session.jsonl",
  "cwd": "/path/to/project",
  "permission_mode": "default",
  "hook_event_name": "SubagentStart",
  "agent_id": "agent-abc123",
  "agent_type": "Explore"
}

Fields:

• agent_id: Unique identifier for the subagent
• agent_type: Agent name (built-in like "Bash", "Explore", "Plan", or custom agent names)

SubagentStop Input

{
  "session_id": "abc123",
  "transcript_path": "/path/to/session.jsonl",
  "cwd": "/path/to/project",
  "permission_mode": "default",
  "hook_event_name": "SubagentStop",
  "stop_hook_active": false,
  "agent_id": "def456",
  "agent_transcript_path": "/path/to/subagents/agent-def456.jsonl"
}

Fields:

• agent_id: Unique identifier for the subagent
• agent_transcript_path: Path to the subagent's own transcript in nested subagents/ folder
• stop_hook_active: True when already continuing due to a stop hook

PreCompact Input

{
  "session_id": "abc123",
  "transcript_path": "/path/to/session.jsonl",
  "cwd": "/path/to/project",
  "permission_mode": "default",
  "hook_event_name": "PreCompact",
  "trigger": "manual",
  "custom_instructions": ""
}

Setup Input

{
  "session_id": "abc123",
  "transcript_path": "/path/to/session.jsonl",
  "cwd": "/path/to/project",
  "permission_mode": "default",
  "hook_event_name": "Setup",
  "trigger": "init"
}

Fields:

• trigger: Either "init" (from --init or --init-only) or "maintenance" (from --maintenance)
• Setup hooks have access to CLAUDE_ENV_FILE for persisting environment variables

SessionStart Input

{
  "session_id": "abc123",
  "transcript_path": "/path/to/session.jsonl",
  "cwd": "/path/to/project",
  "permission_mode": "default",
  "hook_event_name": "SessionStart",
  "source": "startup",
  "model": "claude-sonnet-4-20250514"
}

Fields:

• source: Indicates how session started: "startup" (new), "resume" (resumed), "clear" (after /clear), or "compact" (after compaction)
• model: Model identifier when available
• agent_type: (Optional) Present when Claude Code started with claude --agent <name>

SessionEnd Input

{
  "session_id": "abc123",
  "transcript_path": "/path/to/session.jsonl",
  "cwd": "/path/to/project",
  "permission_mode": "default",
  "hook_event_name": "SessionEnd",
  "reason": "exit"
}

reason values: clear, logout, prompt_input_exit, other

Hook Output

Exit Codes

Important: Claude Code does not see stdout if exit code is 0, except for UserPromptSubmit and SessionStart where stdout is added to context.

Exit Code 2 Behavior Per Event

JSON Output Control

Important: JSON output only processed with exit code 0. Exit code 2 uses stderr only.

Common JSON Fields (All Events)

{
  "continue": true,
  "stopReason": "Message shown when continue is false",
  "suppressOutput": false,
  "systemMessage": "Optional warning message shown to user"
}

Precedence: continue: false takes precedence over any decision: "block" output.

PreToolUse JSON Output

{
  "hookSpecificOutput": {
    "hookEventName": "PreToolUse",
    "permissionDecision": "allow",
    "permissionDecisionReason": "Auto-approved documentation file",
    "updatedInput": {
      "field_to_modify": "new value"
    },
    "additionalContext": "Current environment: production. Proceed with caution."
  }
}

Note: decision and reason fields are deprecated. Use hookSpecificOutput.permissionDecision and hookSpecificOutput.permissionDecisionReason. Deprecated "approve" and "block" map to "allow" and "deny".

PermissionRequest JSON Output

Allow with modified input:

{
  "hookSpecificOutput": {
    "hookEventName": "PermissionRequest",
    "decision": {
      "behavior": "allow",
      "updatedInput": {
        "command": "npm run lint"
      }
    }
  }
}

Deny with message:

{
  "hookSpecificOutput": {
    "hookEventName": "PermissionRequest",
    "decision": {
      "behavior": "deny",
      "message": "Command not allowed by policy",
      "interrupt": true
    }
  }
}

PostToolUse JSON Output

{
  "decision": "block",
  "reason": "Explanation for decision",
  "hookSpecificOutput": {
    "hookEventName": "PostToolUse",
    "additionalContext": "Additional information for Claude"
  }
}

• "block" automatically prompts Claude with reason
• undefined does nothing, reason is ignored

UserPromptSubmit JSON Output

{
  "decision": "block",
  "reason": "Prompt contains sensitive data",
  "hookSpecificOutput": {
    "hookEventName": "UserPromptSubmit",
    "additionalContext": "My additional context here"
  }
}

Two ways to add context (exit code 0):

1. Plain text stdout: Any non-JSON text is added as context
2. JSON with additionalContext: More structured control

Blocking prompts:

• "decision": "block" prevents prompt processing, erases prompt from context
• "reason" shown to user but not added to context

Stop / SubagentStop JSON Output

{
  "decision": "block",
  "reason": "Must be provided when Claude is blocked from stopping"
}

• "block" prevents Claude from stopping. Must populate reason
• undefined allows Claude to stop. reason is ignored

Setup JSON Output

{
  "hookSpecificOutput": {
    "hookEventName": "Setup",
    "additionalContext": "Repository initialized with custom configuration"
  }
}

Note: Multiple hooks' additionalContext values are concatenated. Setup hooks have access to CLAUDE_ENV_FILE for persisting environment variables.

SessionStart JSON Output

{
  "hookSpecificOutput": {
    "hookEventName": "SessionStart",
    "additionalContext": "Project context loaded successfully"
  }
}

Note: Multiple hooks' additionalContext values are concatenated.

Sources

• Hooks Reference (accessed 2026-01-28)
• Hooks Guide
• Settings Reference
• Plugin Components Reference