Git Hooks - Automate on Events

Git Hooks

Hooks are scripts Git runs automatically on events - enforce standards before bad code enters history.

Hook	Fires	Common use
`pre-commit`	Before a commit is created	Lint, format, run fast tests, block secrets
`commit-msg`	After the message is written	Enforce message format (e.g. Conventional Commits)
`pre-push`	Before pushing	Run the test suite

Hooks live in .git/hooks/ as executable scripts:

$ cat > .git/hooks/pre-commit <<'EOF'
#!/bin/bash
if git diff --cached | grep -q 'API_KEY='; then
  echo 'Blocked: do not commit secrets!'; exit 1
fi
EOF
$ chmod +x .git/hooks/pre-commit

Warning: .git/hooks/ is not committed or shared with the team. To share hooks, use a tool like Husky (JS) or pre-commit (Python), or set core.hooksPath to a tracked directory.

Tip: A pre-commit hook that blocks secrets and runs a linter catches problems on your machine - before they ever reach CI or review.