# Show HN: Pleasantries

> Source: <https://github.com/QAInsights/pleasantries>
> Published: 2026-08-04 21:59:30+00:00

Pre-hook scripts for AI coding CLIs that block pleasantry-only prompts like "hi", "hello", "ok", "thank you", etc. Send a real task, not a greeting.

AI coding assistants are task tools, not chat buddies. Every "hello" wastes a model call, burns tokens, and breaks your flow. This hook intercepts the prompt **before** it reaches the model and rejects it with a nudge.

``` php
You type "hi" --> Hook reads prompt --> Regex fullmatch --> Blocked
You type "fix auth bug" --> Hook reads prompt --> No match --> Prompt proceeds
```

Each CLI has its own blocking mechanism:

| Block method | CLIs |
|---|---|
| stderr + exit code 2 | Claude, Kiro, Copilot Chat, Copilot CLI, Cursor, Factory Droid, Kimi Code, Devin |
JSON `{"decision": "block"}` + exit 0 |
Codex |
JSON `{"decision": "deny"}` + exit 0 |
Gemini |

The matcher normalizes input (lowercase, strip punctuation, collapse whitespace) and checks if the **entire** prompt is a pleasantry. Prompts that *contain* pleasantry words but include a real task pass through fine:

| Prompt | Result |
|---|---|
`hi` |
Blocked |
`Hello!!` |
Blocked |
`thank you so much` |
Blocked |
`ok` |
Blocked |
`see ya later` |
Blocked |
`fix the login bug` |
Allowed |
`hello world program in python` |
Allowed |
`please refactor auth.py` |
Allowed |

| CLI | Hook Event | Config Location | Blocking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | `UserPromptSubmit` |
`~/.claude/settings.json` |
exit 2 |
| Codex CLI | `UserPromptSubmit` |
`~/.codex/hooks.json` |
JSON block |
| Gemini CLI | `BeforeAgent` |
`~/.gemini/settings.json` |
JSON deny |
| Cursor | `beforeSubmitPrompt` |
`~/.cursor/hooks.json` |
exit 2 |
| Copilot Chat | `UserPromptSubmit` |
`~/.copilot/hooks/` |
exit 2 |
| Copilot CLI | `userPromptSubmitted` |
`~/.copilot/hooks/` |
exit 2 |
| Qwen Code | `UserPromptSubmit` |
`~/.qwen/settings.json` |
exit 2 |
| Junie CLI | `UserPromptSubmit` |
`~/.junie/config.json` |
exit 2 |
| Factory Droid | `UserPromptSubmit` |
`~/.factory/hooks.json` |
exit 2 |
| Kimi Code | `UserPromptSubmit` |
`~/.kimi-code/config.toml` |
exit 2 |
| grok-cli | `UserPromptSubmit` |
`~/.grok/user-settings.json` |
exit 2 |
| Kun | `UserPromptSubmit` |
`~/.kun/data/config.json` |
exit 2 |
| Open Interpreter | `UserPromptSubmit` |
`~/.openinterpreter/hooks.json` |
exit 2 |
| Kiro | `UserPromptSubmit` |
`.kiro/hooks/*.json` (workspace) |
exit 2 |
| Devin CLI | `UserPromptSubmit` |
`.devin/hooks.v1.json` (workspace) |
exit 2 |

CodeBuddy, OpenCode (archived), Aider, Kilo Code, Trae, Trae CN (unreleased), Hermes, Pi, OpenClaw, Amp (docs private), Google Antigravity (no prompt access), Cline (SDK-only), oh-my-pi (SDK-only), Freebuff (no config), Command Code (no pre-prompt hook).

```
python install.py
```

The installer will:

- Copy
`block_pleasantries.py`

to`~/.pleasantries/`

- Detect which AI coding CLIs are installed on your machine
- Let you select which ones to hook
- Merge the hook into each CLI's config (skips if already installed)

To remove all hooks:

```
python install.py --uninstall
```

If you prefer to configure each CLI by hand:

`~/.claude/settings.json`

:

```
{
  "hooks": {
    "UserPromptSubmit": [
      { "hooks": [{ "type": "command",
          "command": "python3 /path/to/block_pleasantries.py claude",
          "timeout": 5 }] }
    ]
  }
}
```

**Step 1:** Enable hooks in `~/.codex/config.toml`

:

```
[features]
hooks = true
```

**Step 2:** Add to `~/.codex/hooks.json`

:

```
{
  "hooks": {
    "UserPromptSubmit": [
      { "hooks": [{ "type": "command",
          "command": "python3 /path/to/block_pleasantries.py codex",
          "timeout": 5, "statusMessage": "Checking prompt" }] }
    ]
  }
}
```

`~/.gemini/settings.json`

:

```
{
  "hooks": {
    "BeforeAgent": [
      { "matcher": "*", "hooks": [{ "type": "command",
          "command": "python3 /path/to/block_pleasantries.py gemini",
          "timeout": 5000 }] }
    ]
  }
}
```

`.kiro/hooks/block-pleasantries.json`

(workspace-level):

```
{
  "version": "v1",
  "hooks": [{
    "name": "block-pleasantries",
    "trigger": "UserPromptSubmit",
    "action": { "type": "command",
      "command": "python3 /path/to/block_pleasantries.py kiro" },
    "timeout": 30, "enabled": true
  }]
}
```

`.cursor/hooks.json`

or `~/.cursor/hooks.json`

:

```
{
  "version": 1,
  "hooks": {
    "beforeSubmitPrompt": [{
      "command": "python3 /path/to/block_pleasantries.py cursor",
      "timeout": 5
    }]
  }
}
```

`.github/hooks/pleasantries.json`

or `~/.copilot/hooks/`

:

```
{
  "version": 1,
  "hooks": {
    "UserPromptSubmit": [{
      "type": "command",
      "command": "python3 /path/to/block_pleasantries.py copilot-chat",
      "timeout": 5
    }]
  }
}
```

`~/.factory/hooks.json`

or `.factory/hooks.json`

:

```
{
  "hooks": {
    "UserPromptSubmit": [
      { "hooks": [{ "type": "command",
          "command": "python3 /path/to/block_pleasantries.py factory-droid",
          "timeout": 5 }] }
    ]
  }
}
```

`~/.kimi-code/config.toml`

:

```
[[hooks]]
event = "UserPromptSubmit"
command = "python3 /path/to/block_pleasantries.py kimi-code"
timeout = 5
```

`.devin/hooks.v1.json`

:

```
{
  "hooks": {
    "UserPromptSubmit": [
      { "hooks": [{ "type": "command",
          "command": "python3 /path/to/block_pleasantries.py devin",
          "timeout": 5 }] }
    ]
  }
}
```

Replace `/path/to/`

with the actual path to this repo. Use `python`

instead of `python3`

on Windows.

- Python 3.10+
- No external dependencies (stdlib only:
`json`

,`re`

,`sys`

) - Works on macOS, Linux, and Windows

```
block_pleasantries.py
+-- Core matcher (CLI-agnostic)
|   +-- PLEASANTRY_PATTERNS      - compiled regex
|   +-- normalize()              - lowercase, strip punctuation
|   +-- is_pleasantry()          - fullmatch check
|
+-- CLI adapters
|   +-- _json_prompt_extract()   - shared JSON stdin parser
|   +-- _exit2_block()           - stderr + exit code 2 (8 CLIs)
|   +-- _codex_block()           - JSON stdout "block" + exit 0
|   +-- _gemini_block()          - JSON stdout "deny" + exit 0
|   +-- ADAPTERS dict            - {name: {extract, block}}
|
+-- main()                       - dispatch via argv[1]
```

Adding a new CLI:

``` php
def _newcli_block(msg: str) -> None:
    print(msg, file=sys.stderr)
    sys.exit(2)

ADAPTERS["newcli"] = {"extract": _json_prompt_extract, "block": _newcli_block}
```

Then: `python3 block_pleasantries.py newcli`

Edit the `PLEASANTRY_PATTERNS`

regex in `block_pleasantries.py`

. Patterns are grouped by category:

**Greetings**: hi, hello, hey, howdy, good morning, ...** Acknowledgments**: ok, sure, yeah, got it, ...** Thanks**: thank you, thanks, thx, ty, ...** Please**: please, pls, plz** Farewells**: bye, goodbye, see ya, later, ...

MIT