Claude Input Notify: Never Miss a Claude Code Notification Again

Working with Claude Code in the terminal can sometimes lead to missed input notifications, especially when you’re multitasking or have multiple windows open. That’s why I created claude-input-notify.sh - a simple but effective shell script that creates visual notifications whenever Claude Code needs your attention.

The Problem

When using Claude Code, there are moments when it pauses and waits for user input - asking for confirmation, additional information, or next steps. If you’re working in another window or focused on a different task, you might miss these notifications, leaving Claude waiting indefinitely and disrupting your workflow.

The Solution

The claude-input-notify.sh script uses Claude Code’s hooks system and automatically displays a visual notification popup whenever Claude Code needs user input. This ensures you never miss an important interaction point.

Key Features

Smart Terminal Detection

The script uses multiple methods to find your active terminal window:

• Searches for windows by process name (gnome-terminal, konsole, xterm, etc.)
• Falls back to the most recently focused window if needed
• Supports various terminal emulators

Visual Notification System

• Displays a clean, modern dialog with the Claude Code logo
• Shows clear messaging about what’s happening
• Provides an “OK” button to quickly return to the terminal
• Optional “Cancel” button for dismissing without action
• Can also be dismissed with the ESC key (same as Cancel)
• Displays custom messages from Claude Code when available

Developer-Friendly Options

• Debug mode (DEBUG_MODE=1 environment variable): Shows detailed information about window detection
• Test mode (TEST_MODE=1 environment variable): Triggers a test notification to verify setup
• Verbose output: Helps troubleshoot any issues

Installation and Setup

1. First, ensure you have the required dependencies:

sudo apt install xdotool wmctrl yad jq

1. Download the script and logo from my: own-debian-configs repository:

# Download the notification script
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/idachev/own-debian-configs/master/claude-input-notify.sh -O ~/bin/claude-input-notify.sh
chmod +x ~/bin/claude-input-notify.sh

# Download the Claude logo (optional, but recommended for better visuals)
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/idachev/own-debian-configs/master/claude-logo.png -O ~/bin/claude-logo.png

1. Configure Claude to use the notification script automatically by editing ~/.claude/settings.json:

{
  "hooks": {
    "Notification": [
      {
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "~/bin/claude-input-notify.sh"
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

This hooks configuration ensures that the notification script runs automatically whenever Claude Code needs user input - no manual piping required!

How It Works

When configured as a Claude hook, the script is automatically triggered whenever Claude Code needs user input. The process flow is:

1. Claude Code detects it needs user input and triggers the Notification hook
2. The script reads any JSON message from stdin to display custom notifications
3. Identifies the terminal window where Claude Code is running
4. Creates a notification dialog using yad (Yet Another Dialog)
5. When you click “OK”, it automatically brings the terminal window to focus
6. ESC or Cancel simply dismisses the notification without switching focus
7. Returns you right where you need to be to continue your interaction

Advanced Usage

Debug Mode

To debug window detection issues, run the script manually with the debug environment variable:

DEBUG_MODE=1 ~/bin/claude-input-notify.sh

Test the Notification

To verify everything is working:

TEST_MODE=1 ~/bin/claude-input-notify.sh

Technical Implementation

The script leverages several Linux utilities:

• xdotool: For window manipulation and focus management
• wmctrl: As a fallback for window operations
• yad: For creating the GTK+ dialog
• pgrep/ps: For process detection
• jq: Optional JSON parser for extracting custom messages from Claude Code hooks

The script reads JSON data from stdin when triggered by Claude Code hooks, allowing it to extract and display custom messages. If jq is not available, it falls back to basic regex extraction.

The notification can use either an external Claude logo file (claude-logo.png) if available, or falls back to an embedded base64-encoded logo. This makes the script flexible - it works out of the box but looks even better with the custom logo file.

Benefits

• Never miss notifications: Stay aware of when Claude needs your input
• Improved workflow: Seamlessly switch between tasks without losing track
• Visual feedback: Clear, impossible-to-miss notifications
• Easy integration: Works with any terminal setup
• Lightweight: Minimal resource usage, runs only when needed

Where to Get It

The complete solution including the script and logo file is available in my GitHub repository:

• GitHub: own-debian-configs
• Script: claude-input-notify.sh
• Logo: claude-logo.png

Conclusion

This simple utility has significantly improved my workflow when working with Claude Code. By leveraging Claude’s built-in hooks system, it integrates seamlessly without requiring any complex setup or background processes. It’s one of those small tools that solves a specific problem elegantly.

If you’re a frequent Claude Code user working in the terminal, give claude-input-notify.sh a try. Combined with Claude’s hooks configuration, it provides a frictionless way to stay engaged with your AI assistant, ensuring you never leave Claude waiting for your input again!