Claude Code Agent Status: Cursor Notification via Hooks (Windows-specific tool, cross-platform pattern)

Workflow value: 80/100
Status: active · Freshness: 70/100 · Confidence: 0.90 · Level: intermediate
Categories: Quality Control, Context & Memory, Debugging, Shipping, Hooks, Multi-Agent
Original source: r/ClaudeCode post/comment

What problem this solves

Users often 'babysit' the terminal or miss when Claude Code agents are waiting for input, leading to inefficiencies and context switching overhead.

Summary

This workflow describes a Windows-specific tool, WormsCursor.exe, that integrates with Claude Code's command hooks to provide a visual notification directly on the user's cursor when an agent is awaiting input. This allows users to alt-tab away from the terminal and receive an immediate, unobtrusive cue (a Claude logo on the cursor) when their attention is needed. The post also highlights the broader, cross-platform pattern of using Claude Code hooks for external notifications.

Why it is useful

This workflow is valuable because it addresses a common and frustrating UX gap for developers using AI agents: knowing when the agent requires attention. It provides a concrete, validated solution using Claude Code's native hook mechanism, demonstrating how to integrate external tools for enhanced productivity. Crucially, it clearly distinguishes between the platform-specific implementation (Windows cursor) and the highly transferable underlying pattern (hook-based notifications), making the core concept applicable to a wider audience and inspiring custom solutions on other platforms.

Workflow

1. Install WormsCursor.exe (or a similar notification tool) on the system.
2. The installer (or manual configuration) adds a command hook to ~/.claude/settings.json for relevant Claude Code events (e.g., Notification, Stop, SessionStart).
3. When a configured Claude Code event fires, Claude Code executes WormsCursor.exe hook --tool claude-code.
4. The WormsCursor.exe tray application receives a one-line event from the hook.
5. If an agent is waiting for input, the system cursor visually changes to include a small Claude logo (and a +N if multiple sessions are waiting).
6. The Claude logo clears from the cursor once the user starts typing or interacts with the Claude Code session.

Tools / artifacts

• WormsCursor.exe (Windows application)
• Claude Code command hooks
• ~/.claude/settings.json
• Windows SetSystemCursor API (for the specific cursor effect)

Validation signals

• Author's daily use and validation of its usefulness.
• High Reddit score (44 upvotes, 0.91 ratio) indicating community interest and perceived value.
• 7 comments suggesting engagement and discussion.
• Explicit mention of 'fail-silent' design for robustness.

Cautions

• The tool is designed to be 'fail-silent' to prevent it from hanging or crashing Claude Code sessions.

Limitations

• The direct implementation (physics-based cursor notification) is limited to Windows.
• The post describes a specific tool rather than providing a generic, step-by-step guide for users to build their own custom notification system from scratch, though it explains the underlying hook mechanism.

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This post was generated automatically from the workflow library database.