How to Fix Git Hook Failed (pre-commit, pre-push)

In this tutorial, you'll learn about How to Fix Git Hook Failed (pre. We cover key concepts, practical examples, and best practices.

The Problem

You run git commit and get error: pre-commit hook failed (add --no-verify to bypass) or husky > pre-commit hook failed. A Git hook script (linting, formatting, or testing) returned a non-zero exit code, preventing the commit or push. While hooks catch issues early, they can be frustrating when they block a legitimate commit due to a false positive or unrelated failure.

Quick Fix

1. Bypass the hook temporarily

# Skip pre-commit and commit-msg hooks
git commit --no-verify -m "message"

# Skip pre-push hooks
git push --no-verify

Use this sparingly — hooks exist for a reason.

2. View what the hook is doing

cat .git/hooks/pre-commit

If using husky:

cat .husky/pre-commit

3. Fix the underlying issue

# Lint errors
npx eslint . --fix
git add -A

# Formatting errors
npx prettier --write .
git add -A

# Test failures
npm test
# Fix failing tests before retrying the commit

4. Update husky hooks

# Reinstall husky
npx husky install

# Add a new hook
npx husky add .husky/pre-commit "npm run lint && npm test"

5. Make a hook non-blocking

# In .husky/pre-commit — add || true to make it informational
npm run lint || true

6. Debug a failing hook

# Run the hook script directly to see full output
sh .git/hooks/pre-commit

# Or with verbose
bash -x .git/hooks/pre-commit

7. Update hook scripts in .husky

# Edit the hook file
echo "npx lint-staged" > .husky/pre-commit
chmod +x .husky/pre-commit

Common Causes

Practice with a Test Repository

cd /tmp
mkdir git-practice && cd git-practice
git init --initial-branch=main
# Initialized empty Git repository in /tmp/git-practice/.git/
echo "test" > file.txt && git add . && git commit -m "init"
# [main (root-commit) abc1234] init

Before running destructive commands on your real repository, practice on a throwaway test repository. This builds confidence and prevents costly mistakes. The reflog is your safety net, but practice makes it less needed.

Prevention

• Run npm run lint and npm test before committing to catch issues early
• Use npx husky add to add hooks rather than editing .husky/* directly
• Configure linters to auto-fix on save to reduce hook failures
• Use lint-staged to run linters only on staged files for faster hooks