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Git hooks are scripts that run automatically at specific points in the Git workflow — before a commit, after a push, before a merge — useful for enforcing standards or triggering simple automation without a full CI/CD pipeline.

Client-Side vs Server-Side Hooks

Client-Side Example: pre-commit Hook

cd your-repo
nano .git/hooks/pre-commit

#!/bin/bash
npm run lint
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
    echo "Linting failed. Commit aborted."
    exit 1
fi

chmod +x .git/hooks/pre-commit

Now every git commit automatically runs the linter first, blocking the commit if it fails.

Limitation: Hooks in .git/hooks Aren't Version Controlled

Since .git/hooks isn't tracked by Git itself, these hooks don't automatically propagate to other developers cloning the repository. Solutions:

• Use a dedicated tool like Husky (for Node.js projects) that manages hooks as part of the repository
• Store hook scripts in a tracked directory and document a one-time setup step to symlink them

Example with Husky (Node.js Projects)

npm install husky --save-dev
npx husky init

echo "npm test" > .husky/pre-commit

Husky's configuration lives in a tracked directory, so it works automatically for every team member after npm install.

Server-Side Example: post-receive Hook for Deployment

On a self-hosted Git server (bare repository) on your VPS:

cd /var/git/myapp.git
nano hooks/post-receive

#!/bin/bash
GIT_WORK_TREE=/var/www/myapp git checkout -f main
cd /var/www/myapp
npm install --production
pm2 reload myapp

chmod +x hooks/post-receive

Now pushing to this bare repository automatically deploys the latest code — a simple self-hosted alternative to webhook-based deployment (see How to Deploy Automatically on Git Push) when you're hosting your own Git repository directly, without a platform like GitHub/GitLab in between.

Setting Up a Bare Repository for This Pattern

sudo mkdir -p /var/git/myapp.git
cd /var/git/myapp.git
sudo git init --bare

Add it as a remote from your local machine:

git remote add production deploy@YOUR_SERVER_IP:/var/git/myapp.git
git push production main

Other Useful Hook Types

Common Errors

Hook doesn't run — verify it's executable: chmod +x .git/hooks/pre-commit, and has no file extension (Git looks for exactly pre-commit, not pre-commit.sh).

post-receive deployment fails silently — add explicit logging to the hook script to capture output for debugging.

Best Practices

• Use a tool like Husky for team-shared client-side hooks, since raw .git/hooks aren't version controlled
• Keep hook scripts simple and fast — slow pre-commit hooks frustrate developers and get bypassed
• For anything beyond simple deployment, prefer a proper CI/CD pipeline over server-side hooks

Continue Reading

• How to Deploy Automatically on Git Push (Webhook-Based Deployment)
• How to Build a Simple CI/CD Pipeline with GitHub Actions
• How to Install Gitea (Lightweight Git Server)

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