Catch Mistakes Before They're Committed with Git Hooks
Pre-commit hooks automatically catch bugs, lint errors, and formatting issues before they enter your codebase.
What
Git hooks are scripts that run automatically at certain points in the Git workflow. Pre-commit hooks run before a commit is created, giving you a chance to validate code, run linters, check formatting, or run tests. If the hook exits with a non-zero status, the commit is aborted.
Why It Matters
Catching issues at commit time is far cheaper than catching them in code review or production. Pre-commit hooks enforce code quality standards automatically, so developers don't have to remember to run linters manually. They keep your commit history clean and your CI pipeline green.
Example
# Option 1: Manual hook — create .git/hooks/pre-commit
#!/bin/sh
npm run lint
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
echo "Lint failed. Fix errors before committing."
exit 1
fi
# Make it executable
chmod +x .git/hooks/pre-commit
# Option 2: Using husky + lint-staged (recommended for teams)
npx husky-init && npm install
npx husky set .husky/pre-commit "npx lint-staged"
# In package.json, add:
# "lint-staged": {
# "*.{js,ts}": ["eslint --fix", "prettier --write"]
# }Common Mistake
Not making the hook file executable with chmod +x. The hook file exists but Git silently ignores it because it doesn't have execute permissions.
Quick Fix
Always run chmod +x .git/hooks/pre-commit after creating a hook. For team projects, use husky to manage hooks via package.json so they're version-controlled and automatically installed.
Key Takeaways
- 1Pre-commit hooks run automatically before every commit
- 2Non-zero exit code aborts the commit
- 3chmod +x is required for hook scripts to execute
- 4Use husky + lint-staged for team-friendly hook management
- 5Hooks catch lint errors, formatting issues, and test failures early
Was this tip helpful?
Help us improve the DevOpsPath daily collection