Best Kiro Hooks for Development Automation: Complete Guide 2025

Event-Driven vs. Prompt-Based

Traditional AI coding follows a request-response pattern. Kiro hooks flip this model—they trigger automatically based on file events:

• fileEdited: Triggers when you modify a file (e.g., "Component changed? Update tests.")
• fileCreated: Triggers on new files (e.g., "New component? Generate tests.")
• fileDeleted: Triggers on deletion (e.g., "Route deleted? Remove tests.")
• manual: Manual trigger for on-demand checks (e.g., "Run security audit")

Hook Structure: JSON Files

Kiro hooks are stored as .kiro.hook files in .kiro/hooks/:

{
  "enabled": true,
  "name": "Test Synchronization",
  "description": "Update tests when implementation changes",
  "version": "1",
  "when": {
    "type": "fileEdited",
    "patterns": ["src/components/**/*.tsx"]
  },
  "then": {
    "type": "askAgent",
    "prompt": "Implementation changed. Update tests."
  }
}

Key fields: enabled toggles the hook on/off, when.type defines the event trigger, when.patterns specifies which files, and then.prompt contains AI instructions.

1. PRPM (prpm.dev) - Centralized Registry

Best for: Production teams who want CLI installation, quality scoring, and version control.

• CLI installation: prpm install @author/hook-name
• Testing playground: Test hooks with real AI models before installing
• Quality metrics: Automated 0-5 star scoring
• Version control: Semantic versioning with update notifications
• Format conversion: Convert other automation patterns to Kiro format

2. Official Kiro Docs - Example Hooks

Best for: Learning hook structure and understanding intended patterns.

• Official documentation: Hook specs from Kiro creators
• Reference implementations: Shows proper JSON structure
• Manual installation: Copy-paste JSON files
• Limited examples: ~3-5 starter hooks

3. GitHub Community - Real-World Patterns

Best for: Exploring specialized hooks from production use.

• Community contributions: Hooks from developers using Kiro in production
• Manual extraction: Clone repos, copy .kiro.hook files
• No quality signals: Can't verify hook quality without testing

1. Test Synchronization

Problem: Implementation changes, tests fall out of sync, coverage gaps appear.

{
  "enabled": true,
  "name": "Test Sync",
  "description": "Update tests when implementation changes",
  "version": "1",
  "when": {
    "type": "fileEdited",
    "patterns": ["src/**/*.ts", "!**/*.test.ts"]
  },
  "then": {
    "type": "askAgent",
    "prompt": "Implementation changed. Update tests:\n1. Find test file\n2. Add tests for new functionality\n3. Update assertions\n4. Verify 80%+ coverage"
  }
}

Value: Keeps test coverage consistent. Catches regressions immediately.

2. Documentation Updates

Problem: API routes change, documentation gets stale.

{
  "enabled": true,
  "name": "API Documentation Sync",
  "description": "Update docs when API routes change",
  "version": "1",
  "when": {
    "type": "fileEdited",
    "patterns": ["src/pages/api/**/*.ts", "app/api/**/*.ts"]
  },
  "then": {
    "type": "askAgent",
    "prompt": "API route edited. Update docs:\n1. Update OpenAPI spec\n2. Document schemas\n3. Add examples\n4. Update README"
  }
}

Value: Documentation stays synchronized. Integration partners get accurate specs.

3. Accessibility Audits

Problem: UI components ship without accessibility tests.

{
  "enabled": true,
  "name": "Accessibility Checker",
  "description": "Audit accessibility on UI changes",
  "version": "1",
  "when": {
    "type": "fileEdited",
    "patterns": ["src/components/**/*.tsx"]
  },
  "then": {
    "type": "askAgent",
    "prompt": "UI changed. Check accessibility:\n1. Verify ARIA labels\n2. Check keyboard navigation\n3. Test color contrast\n4. Add a11y tests"
  }
}

Value: Catches accessibility issues during development, not production.

1. Use Specific File Patterns

• Good: "src/components/**/*.tsx"
• Bad: "**/*.tsx" (too broad)
• Exclusions: "!**/*.test.ts"

2. Write Clear Prompts

• Good: "1. Find test. 2. Add tests. 3. Verify coverage."
• Bad: "Update tests." (too vague)
• Use numbered lists for step-by-step automation

3. Choose the Right Event

• fileEdited: Real-time checks (syntax, validation)
• fileCreated: Scaffolding (generate boilerplate)
• fileDeleted: Cleanup (remove tests, update docs)
• manual: On-demand audits (security, accessibility)