manual

Claude Code Local (Project)

Scope Neptrix governance to a single project by hand. The desktop app’s Setup page connects Claude Code globally (every project on the machine); to govern just one project instead, place the hook configuration in that project’s .claude/settings.json yourself. No API key.

Neptrix desktop app required

This setup uses the Neptrix desktop app, which installs and manages the local runtime. Download the beta for macOS or Windows.

Installation

1Download and install the Neptrix desktop app for macOS or Windows from the download page, and complete its Setup page so the local runtime and bridge daemon are installed and running. (If you use Connect there, Claude Code is governed globally and this project is already covered.)
2For project-only scope, create or open .claude/settings.json in the project root and paste the configuration shown below.
3Restart Claude Code so it loads the hook. Tool calls in this project are now governed by the local runtime: the beta enforces from the first connect, on the Default tier until you change it in the desktop app. The hook fails closed if the runtime is not running.
4Inspect the tamper-evident audit chain any time with: neptrix-runtime view --config ~/.neptrix/runtime.json --verify

Advanced: manual hook configuration

The desktop app's Setup page writes an equivalent, hardened version of this configuration for you (a fail-closed guard plus capture hooks). Use the manual route only if you want to wire the hook yourself.

Add this configuration to.claude/settings.json

.claude/settings.json

1{
2  "env": {
3    "NEPTRIX_BRIDGE_DAEMON_SOCKET": "$HOME/.neptrix/bridge-daemon.sock"
4  },
5  "hooks": {
6    "PreToolUse": [
7      {
8        "matcher": ".*",
9        "hooks": [
10          {
11            "type": "command",
12            "command": "sh -c 'if [ -f \"$HOME/.neptrix/bin/client.js\" ]; then exec node \"$HOME/.neptrix/bin/client.js\"; else exit 0; fi'",
13            "timeout": 105
14          }
15        ]
16      }
17    ]
18  }
19}

No API key is needed. The desktop app manages the local runtime, and the hook talks to it over a socket. Download the desktop beta.

How it works

Agent proposes action

Before each tool call, your agent sends the proposed action to Neptrix for evaluation.

Neptrix evaluates

Constitutional governance rules evaluate the action. The decision is logged to your audit trail.

Decision returned

ALLOW, BLOCK, ESCALATE, or MODIFY. Agents auto-discover — no registration needed.

Get the desktop beta.

Download the Neptrix desktop app for macOS or Windows and connect Claude Code from the Setup page.

Download the beta