Hooks
Hooks let you run your own scripts when key events happen during a goose session. Use hooks to log activity, send notifications, format files after edits, run checks after shell commands, or integrate goose with local workflows without writing a custom extension.
goose follows the Open Plugins hooks specification. Hooks are discovered from plugins on disk and run as shell commands when matching lifecycle events fire.
Hooks execute local commands on your machine. Only install or create hooks from sources you trust, and review hook scripts before enabling them.
Where Hooks Live
A hook belongs to a plugin directory. goose discovers plugins from these locations:
| Scope | Location |
|---|---|
| User | ~/.agents/plugins/<plugin-name>/ |
| Project | <project>/.agents/plugins/<plugin-name>/ |
| Installed plugin | goose's plugin install directory |
Each plugin that defines hooks must include a hooks/hooks.json file:
my-plugin/
├── plugin.json
├── hooks/
│ └── hooks.json
└── scripts/
└── notify.sh
Project plugins are loaded when goose is started from that project. User plugins are available across projects.
Create a Hook
To create any hook, choose the event you want to react to, create a plugin directory, add a hooks/hooks.json file that maps that event to a command, then write the script or command that should run. The command receives the event payload as JSON on stdin, so it can inspect details like the session ID, prompt text, tool name, file path, or shell command.
A hook plugin needs this basic structure:
session-logger/
├── plugin.json
├── hooks/
│ └── hooks.json
└── scripts/
└── log-session.sh
The plugin manifest identifies the plugin:
{
"name": "session-logger",
"version": "0.1.0",
"description": "Log goose session events"
}
The hook configuration maps an event to a command. This example runs a script when the SessionEnd event fires:
{
"hooks": {
"SessionEnd": [
{
"hooks": [
{
"type": "command",
"command": "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/log-session.sh"
}
]
}
]
}
}
The script reads the event payload from stdin and performs the automation:
#!/usr/bin/env bash
payload="$(cat)"
session_id="$(printf '%s' "$payload" | jq -r .session_id)"
date_str="$(date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M')"
echo "- $date_str — session $session_id ended" >> ~/goose-session-log.md
Place the plugin under a discovered plugin location, such as ~/.agents/plugins/session-logger/, and make command scripts executable when your operating system requires it.
Hook Configuration
hooks.json has a top-level hooks object. Each key is an event name, and each event contains one or more rules:
{
"hooks": {
"PostToolUse": [
{
"matcher": "developer__shell|developer__text_editor",
"hooks": [
{
"type": "command",
"command": "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/log-tool.sh",
"timeout": 10
}
]
}
]
}
}
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
matcher | No | Regular expression used to decide whether the rule runs for the event. If omitted, the rule runs for every event of that type. |
hooks | Yes | Actions to run when the event and matcher apply. |
type | No | Action type. goose currently supports command. If omitted, command is used. |
command | Yes for command hooks | Shell command to run. goose runs it with sh -c. |
timeout | No | Timeout in seconds for the command. Defaults to 30 seconds. |
Use ${PLUGIN_ROOT} in a command to reference the plugin directory. goose also sets PLUGIN_ROOT in the hook command's environment.
Supported Events
| Event | When it runs | Matcher target |
|---|---|---|
SessionStart | A session starts | None |
SessionEnd | A session ends | None |
Stop | goose receives a stop event | None |
UserPromptSubmit | The user submits a prompt | Prompt text |
PreToolUse | Before goose runs a tool | Tool name |
PostToolUse | After a tool succeeds | Tool name |
PostToolUseFailure | After a tool fails | Tool name |
BeforeReadFile | Before goose reads a file | File path |
AfterFileEdit | After goose successfully edits a file | File path |
BeforeShellExecution | Before goose runs a shell command | Shell command |
AfterShellExecution | After goose successfully runs a shell command | Shell command |
The matcher is a regular expression matched against the most relevant string for the event. For example, use "\\.rs$" to match Rust files on AfterFileEdit, or "^(cargo test|pnpm test)" to match test commands on AfterShellExecution.
AfterFileEdit and AfterShellExecution only run after successful tool calls. To react to failed edits, failed shell commands, or other failed tool calls, use PostToolUseFailure.
Hook Payload
When a hook runs, goose writes a JSON payload to the command's stdin. The payload always includes the event name and session ID, and may include fields such as the tool name, tool input, user message, or working directory.
Example payload for a tool event:
{
"event": "PostToolUse",
"session_id": "abc-123",
"matcher_context": "developer__shell",
"tool_name": "developer__shell",
"tool_input": { "command": "rg TODO" },
"working_dir": "/Users/you/project"
}
Example script that reads the payload:
#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail
payload="$(cat)"
event="$(printf '%s' "$payload" | jq -r .event)"
tool="$(printf '%s' "$payload" | jq -r '.tool_name // "none"')"
echo "goose hook: event=$event tool=$tool" >> "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/hook.log"
Examples
Notify When a Tool Fails
{
"hooks": {
"PostToolUseFailure": [
{
"hooks": [
{
"type": "command",
"command": "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/notify.sh"
}
]
}
]
}
}
#!/usr/bin/env bash
payload="$(cat)"
tool="$(printf '%s' "$payload" | jq -r '.tool_name // "tool"')"
osascript -e "display notification \"$tool failed\" with title \"goose\""
Format Files After goose Edits Them
{
"hooks": {
"AfterFileEdit": [
{
"matcher": "\\.(ts|tsx|js|jsx|json|md)$",
"hooks": [
{
"type": "command",
"command": "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/prettier.sh"
}
]
},
{
"matcher": "\\.rs$",
"hooks": [
{
"type": "command",
"command": "cargo fmt"
}
]
}
]
}
}
#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail
payload="$(cat)"
file="$(printf '%s' "$payload" | jq -r '.matcher_context // empty')"
if [ -n "$file" ]; then
npx prettier --write "$file"
fi
React to Long-Running Commands
{
"hooks": {
"AfterShellExecution": [
{
"matcher": "^(cargo (test|build|clippy)|pnpm (test|build)|just )",
"hooks": [
{
"type": "command",
"command": "say 'goose finished running your command'"
}
]
}
]
}
}
Try the Example Plugin
goose includes an example plugin at examples/plugins/hello-hooks.
mkdir -p ~/.agents/plugins
cp -R examples/plugins/hello-hooks ~/.agents/plugins/hello-hooks
chmod +x ~/.agents/plugins/hello-hooks/scripts/announce.sh
goose session
The example prints hook events to stderr and appends full payloads to:
~/.agents/plugins/hello-hooks/last-event.log
Disable a Hook Plugin
To disable a plugin, add its name to disabledPlugins in your goose settings file:
{
"disabledPlugins": ["session-logger"]
}
For project-specific settings, use:
<project>/.config/goose/settings.json
A plugin listed in disabledPlugins is skipped during plugin discovery, so its hooks will not run.
Troubleshooting
My Hook Did Not Run
Check the following:
- The plugin directory is under
~/.agents/plugins/<name>/or<project>/.agents/plugins/<name>/. - The hook config is at
hooks/hooks.jsoninside the plugin directory. - The event name matches one of the supported events.
- The
matcherregular expression matches the event's matcher target. - The command path is correct. Use
${PLUGIN_ROOT}for scripts inside the plugin. - The script is executable if you call it directly.
- The plugin is not listed in
disabledPlugins.
My Hook Timed Out or Failed
Hook failures are logged but do not crash goose or the tool that triggered the hook. If a hook fails or exceeds its timeout, goose logs the failure and continues.
Set a larger timeout for long-running hooks:
{
"hooks": {
"SessionEnd": [
{
"hooks": [
{
"type": "command",
"command": "${PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/archive.sh",
"timeout": 120
}
]
}
]
}
}
My Script Cannot Find jq or Another Command
Hooks run as local shell commands. Make sure any commands your script uses are installed and available on your shell PATH. For portability, prefer absolute paths for tools that may not be installed everywhere.
