Documentation

Get started in 5 minutes

Took is a local CLI. No account, no cloud, no API keys required for the free tier. Install, initialise, and you're coaching your first prompt. New to the loop? took start gives you a 60-second tour, and took chat opens an interactive session — natural language, no shell quoting.

getting started
# 1. Install the global CLI
$ npm install -g @gettook/took
added 1 package ✓ · new here? try: took start
# 2. Initialise in your repo
$ cd my-project && took init
Created .took/ · .took/config.json · .took/rules.json
Detected: Jest tests ✓ · ESLint ✓ · README ✓ · AGENTS.md ✗
# 3. Run an agent-readiness report
$ took ready
Agent-readiness score: 62 / 100
Missing: AGENTS.md · .env.example · hermetic test runner
Passing: tests · lint · README · gitignore
Highest-leverage fix: write AGENTS.md
# 4. Install git + agent hooks
$ took install-hooks
pre-commit hook · registered ✓
pre-push hook · registered ✓
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Claude Code plugin

Install in Claude Code

The Claude Code plugin installs Took's five hooks directly into your agent session — coaching prompts, guarding tool calls, reviewing diffs, protecting context budget, and metering each session's real cost when it ends.

claude-code — plugin install
$ /plugin marketplace add gettook/took
Found: Took · coaching hooks for Claude Code
$ /plugin install took@took
UserPromptSubmit · PreToolUse · PostToolUse · PreCompact · Stop · all registered
Took is watching. Coach mode enabled.
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Codex CLI plugin

Install in Codex CLI

The same coach runs in OpenAI's Codex CLI — the same five hook events and slash commands, packaged as a Codex-native plugin in the codex/ directory of the public repo. Clone first: Codex resolves Git-source marketplaces at the repo root, and the root hosts the Claude Code marketplace.

codex — plugin install
# clone the repo, then add codex/ as a local marketplace
$ git clone https://github.com/gettook/took.git
$ codex plugin marketplace add ./took/codex
Added marketplace 'took'
$ codex plugin add took@took
took@took · installed, enabled
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One-time hook trust. Installing does not activate hooks. On your next interactive codex session, Codex shows a “New hook — review required” prompt listing Took's hooks. Review and trust them once — this is Codex's designed security flow: you, not an installer, approve what runs on your machine.

CLI reference

Command table

Generated from took --help — grouped the way the CLI groups them. Run took <command> --help for flags.

CommandDescriptionTier
Start here
took startNew here? A 60-second tour of the loop and the first commands to try.free
took initSet up Took in this folder (.took/, config, AGENTS.md) — no account needed.free
took chatInteractive Took session — natural language + /commands, no shell quoting. Running bare `took` opens it too.free
Assess & right-size
took prompt"<task>"Right-size a task and coach the next RePPIT step. Returns a copy-ready prompt.free
took readyAgent-readiness report card for this repo (scored 0–100) + the highest-leverage fix.free
took evalScore this repo: fused Took Score + ranked improvements. Account required.Pro
took statsDirectional git-derived habit metrics: diff size, churn, test co-change. Alias: took trends.free
Build & review
took diffReview the current change for scope, missing tests, secrets, and slop.free
took scanScan the repo for leaked secrets — and PHI/PII with --phi.free
took docs-checkCheck README / .env.example / AGENTS.md for drift vs the current change.free
Ship
took pr-readyScore the change for PR readiness: scope, tests, docs, secrets.free
took secureRun the compliance Secure gate over the change, code-vs-org separated. The Pipp Health register (Max) folds it into the loop after Test.free
Progress & coaching
took xpYour XP ledger — combined across every repo, segregated by repo.free
took costYour cost ledger — spend per task & type, context pressure, and honest attribution coverage. Local-only.free
took explain<action>Explain an action in plain English — grounded, no fabricated citations. Pipp-depth (--deep) unlocks with Max.free
took pipp[level]Switch coaching register: pipp | health | off. The Pipp and Pipp Health registers are Max features.Max
Account
took loginConnect this workspace to your Took account — optional, local-first by default. took logout clears the token.free
took syncPush XP + directional metric snapshots to your account. Derived data only — never code.free
Agent integration
took guardInspect a tool call for dangerous ops / secrets before it runs.free
took hookAgent hook protocol: read event JSON on stdin, emit a decision. Drives the Claude Code + Codex plugins.free
took install-hooksInstall git (pre-commit/pre-push) and/or Claude Code hooks.free
took statuslineRender a one-line Claude Code status line: prompt right-sizing + XP.free
took badgePrint a shields.io endpoint JSON for an Agent-Ready README badge.free
More
took recall<query>Recall the most relevant symbols for a query — zero-dep structural map, budget-fit context slices.free
took cartridgeRepo memory cartridge: compress repo knowledge into a slim, source-grounded, frozen artifact. Faithfulness-gated.free
took taskGit-native task graph: add / ready / show / claim / close / list. Powers cost-per-task attribution via commit trailers.free
took learnYour learning analytics — corrections, right-sizing, and waste per week, from your own event log. Local-only.free
took upgradeUpgrade your plan from the terminal — pays via Stripe Checkout, then unlocks paid features.free

Tier notes. took eval needs Pro in the engineer register and Max in the Pipp registers. The Pipp and Pipp Health registers (took pipp / took pipp health) and Pipp-depth explanations (took explain --deep) need Max. Everything else runs free, locally, with no account.

Architecture

Hook architecture

Took operates through hooks — intercepting key events in the agent lifecycle to coach, guard, review, and meter without replacing the agent itself. The same hook protocol drives Claude Code and Codex CLI.

UserPromptSubmit
Before agent receives your prompt
Right-sizes the task; coaches Research-first for non-trivial tasks; Pipp translates to plain language.
PreToolUse
Before each tool call
Guards scope blowouts, dangerous commands (file delete, deploy, migration), context budget warnings. Pipp: default Guard/Strict.
PostToolUse
After each tool call
Diff review: missing tests, out-of-scope edits, docs drift. Pipp: narrates every action.
PreCompact
Before context compaction
Encourages caching progress to an artifact before context is lost. Protects the context budget.
Stop
When the agent session ends
Ingests real token + cost usage from the session transcript into the local cost ledger; auto-syncs derived metrics when you're logged in.
Pre-Commit
Git pre-commit hook
Docs/playbook drift, secrets, test gaps, PHI scan (Pipp Health).
Pre-Push
Git pre-push hook
PR readiness score before the branch is pushed.
Secure gate
After Test in regulated mode
Compliance checklists vs diff. Loops until clean. Pipp Health register.

Modes

Coach
Warn-only. Default for engineers.
Guard
Confirm on risky actions. Pipp default.
Strict
Block high-risk. Pipp option.
Team
Shared rules from .took/rules.json.
Pipp Health

Regulated workflow setup

Pipp Health is included in Took Max. Switch to the health register with took pipp health — PHI scanning turns on, guarding goes strict, and the Secure phase activates after Test. You can also run the gate standalone anytime with took secure.

pipp health — setup
# switch to the regulated register (Took Max)
$ took pipp health
Register set to pipp-health.
Regulated mode: PHI scanning on, the Secure compliance phase, strict guarding.
# run the Secure gate over the current change anytime
$ took secure
Assessing the change against the enabled compliance checklists...
Code-verifiable controls: PASS / WARN / FAIL per control
Organizational controls: surfaced separately — never auto-passed
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Disclaimer: Pipp Health assesses and surfaces compliance signals. It does not certify compliance with HIPAA, SOC 2, HITRUST, or any other framework. It is not a substitute for qualified legal counsel or a security auditor. Learn more →