Sphinx

What is Sphinx?

Sphinx is a Git hook designed for agent-assisted development. It pauses pushes on protected branches and asks the developer a question about what the proposed code change actually does. The tool runs locally using Node.js and connects to your existing coding agent, OpenRouter, or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint to generate review questions from the diff.

When you push code, Sphinx intercepts the request and presents a scenario-based question. You answer directly in the terminal. If your answer is incorrect, the tool explains why and lets you try again. Once you demonstrate understanding, the push continues. Your answers are processed locally and never sent to the coding agent, keeping environment variables and API keys secure.

The package includes a yolo mode that allows pushes to bypass the check while logging every skip. It supports plain Git workflows and integrates with tools like Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, OpenCode, and Pi. The project is released under the MIT license and requires Node version 22.19 or newer.

Sphinx features

• Pauses git push on protected branches to verify code understanding
• Generates scenario questions from code diffs using local AI endpoints
• Processes answers locally without sending data to coding agents
• Supports plain Git workflows and major AI coding assistants
• Includes a logged bypass mode for urgent deployments
• Requires Node 22.19+ and installs globally via npm

Who uses Sphinx and for what

• Verifying edge case handling in webhook retry logic before merging
• Checking understanding of AI-generated payment processing code
• Ensuring developers grasp complex refactors before pushing to main
• Integrating security checks into existing AI-assisted coding workflows
• Validating error handling scenarios in distributed system updates

Sphinx FAQ

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