Suggesting Cursor Hooks
Watch for repeated manual requests. When the user keeps asking you to run the same command after changes, suggest a hook to automate it.
Triggers
Suggest a hook when you notice:
- The user asks you to run the same check 2+ times (e.g. "run lint", "run tests", "check types")
- The user says "always run X after editing" or "make sure to test after changes"
- You keep forgetting to run a validation step and the user catches it
- A CI failure could have been caught locally with a post-edit check
How to Suggest
You've asked me to run [command] after edits a few times. Want me to
set up a Cursor hook so it runs automatically?If they say yes, create .cursor/hooks.json and the script:
{
"hooks": [
{
"event": "afterFileEdit",
"script": ".cursor/hooks/<name>.sh",
"pattern": "<glob>"
}
]
}Common Hooks to Suggest
| User keeps asking... | Hook |
|---|---|
| "run lint" / "fix formatting" | afterFileEdit → eslint --fix or prettier --write |
| "check types" | afterFileEdit → tsc --noEmit on .ts/.tsx |
| "run tests" | afterFileEdit → run related test file |
| "don't touch.env" | beforeShellExecution → warn on secrets files |
| "make sure it builds" | stop → quick build check |
Rules
- Only suggest after a real repeated pattern, not preemptively
- Hook scripts must be fast (under 5 seconds) or the agent feels slow
- Scripts should exit 0 and report via stdout — don't block the agent unless the user explicitly wants that
- Check for existing
.cursor/hooks.jsonfirst — merge, don't overwrite - Keep it casual — "want me to automate this?" not a formal proposal