Claude Code Notifier

Never miss when Claude Code needs your attention! Get instant VS Code notifications when Claude asks questions, needs permissions, or waits for your input.

✨ Features

• 🔔 VS Code Notifications: Get notified directly in VS Code when Claude needs you
• 🎯 Smart Triggers: Monitors permission requests, questions, and idle states
• ⚡ Zero Configuration: Works automatically once installed
• 🔧 Customizable: Easy to configure with Claude Code hooks

📦 Installation

Step 1: Install the Extension

Install from the VS Code marketplace or:

code --install-extension erdemgiray.claude-code-notifier

Step 2: Configure Claude Code Hooks

Add the following hooks configuration to your Claude Code settings:

For global notifications (all projects): Add to ~/.claude/settings.local.json:

For project-specific notifications: Add to .claude/settings.local.json in your project directory:

{
  "hooks": {
    "Notification": [
      {
        "matcher": "permission_prompt",
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "echo 'Claude needs your permission' > /tmp/claude-notify && terminal-notifier -title \"Claude Code\" -message \"Claude needs your permission\" -sound Glass"
          }
        ]
      },
      {
        "matcher": "elicitation_dialog",
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "echo 'Claude has a question for you' > /tmp/claude-notify && terminal-notifier -title \"Claude Code\" -message \"Claude has a question for you\" -sound Glass"
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Step 3: Install terminal-notifier (macOS only - optional)

The hooks configuration above includes terminal-notifier for system-level notifications. Install it with:

brew install terminal-notifier

Note: If you don't want system notifications, simply remove the && terminal-notifier... part from each command.

🚀 Usage

Once installed and configured, the extension works automatically:

1. Permission Requests: Get notified when Claude needs permission to run commands
2. Questions: Get notified when Claude asks you questions via AskUserQuestion

Note: The configuration excludes idle_prompt (task completion notifications) to reduce notification noise. You'll only be notified when Claude is blocked and needs your input.

🧪 Testing

Test the extension by running the command palette (Cmd+Shift+P) and searching for:

Claude Code: Send Test Notification

You should see a notification appear in VS Code.

🛠️ How It Works

The extension watches a trigger file at /tmp/claude-notify for changes. When Claude Code hooks write to this file, the extension reads the message and displays it as a VS Code notification.

📝 Customization

Custom Messages

You can customize the notification messages by editing the hooks configuration. Change the text after echo to customize what appears in the notification.

Example:

"command": "echo 'Hey! Claude needs you!' > /tmp/claude-notify"

Optional: Task Completion Notifications

If you want to be notified when Claude finishes tasks and is waiting for your next input, add the idle_prompt hook:

{
  "matcher": "idle_prompt",
  "hooks": [
    {
      "type": "command",
      "command": "echo 'Claude is waiting for your input' > /tmp/claude-notify && terminal-notifier -title \"Claude Code\" -message \"Claude is waiting for your input\" -sound Glass"
    }
  ]
}

Note: This can be noisy if you prefer to monitor Claude's progress yourself. Most users only need permission_prompt and elicitation_dialog.

🐛 Troubleshooting

Notifications not appearing?

• Ensure the extension is installed and activated (check Extensions panel)
• Verify hooks are configured in .claude/settings.local.json
• Check that /tmp/claude-notify file exists
• Run the test command to verify the extension is working

System notifications not working?

• Install terminal-notifier via Homebrew
• Or remove the terminal-notifier part from the hooks

📄 License

MIT

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit issues or pull requests.

⭐ Support

If you find this extension helpful, please star the repository and share it with others!

claude-code-notifier