Show HN: Pleasantries

A developer released Pleasantries, an open-source pre-hook script that blocks pleasantry-only prompts like "hi" and "thank you" before they reach AI coding CLIs, saving tokens and preventing wasted model calls. The tool supports 15 CLIs including Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, Cursor, and Copilot Chat, with per-CLI blocking mechanisms such as exit code 2 or JSON deny responses. It normalizes input to catch greetings while allowing prompts that contain real tasks, and can be installed via a Python script that auto-detects installed CLIs.

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