> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.prestashop-project.org/1-6-documentation/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.prestashop-project.org/1-6-documentation/english-documentation/developer-guide/diving-into-prestashop-core-development/managing-hooks.md).

# Managing Hooks

Hooks are a way to associate your code to some specific PrestaShop events.

Most of the time, they are used to insert content in a page.

For instance, the PrestaShop default theme's home page has the following hooks:

| Hook name          | Description                                      |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------ |
| displayHeader      | Displays the content in the page's header area.  |
| displayTop         | Displays the content in the page's top area.     |
| displayLeftColumn  | Displays the content in the page's left column.  |
| displayHome        | Displays the content in the page's central area. |
| displayRightColumn | Displays the content in the page's right column. |
| displayFooter      | Displays the content in the page's footer area.  |

Hooks can also be used to perform specific actions under certain circumstances (i.e. sending an e-mail to the client).

You can get a full list of the hooks available in PrestaShop 1.6 in the "Hooks in PrestaShop 1.6" chapter of the Developer Guide.

## Using hooks <a href="#managinghooks-usinghooks" id="managinghooks-usinghooks"></a>

### ...in a controller <a href="#managinghooks-...inacontroller" id="managinghooks-...inacontroller"></a>

It is easy to call a hook from within a controller: you simply have to use its name with the `hookExec()` method: `Module::hookExec('NameOfHook');`

For instance:

```
$this->context->smarty->assign('HOOK_LEFT_COLUMN', Module::hookExec('displayLeftColumn'));
```

### ...in a module <a href="#managinghooks-...inamodule" id="managinghooks-...inamodule"></a>

In order to attach your code to a hook, you must create a non-static public method, starting with the "`hook`" keyword followed by either "`display`" or "`action`", and the name of the hook you want to use.

This method receives one (and only one) argument: an array of the contextual information sent to the hook.

```
public function hookDisplayNameOfHook($params)
{
    // Your code.
}
```

In order for a module to respond to a hook call, the hook must be registered within PrestaShop. Hook registration is done using the `registerHook()` method. Registration is usually done during the module's installation.

```
public function install()
{
    return parent::install() && $this->registerHook('NameOfHook');
}
```

### ...in a theme <a href="#managinghooks-...inatheme" id="managinghooks-...inatheme"></a>

It is easy to call a hook from within a template file (`.tpl`): you simply have to use its name with the `hook` function. You can add the name of a module that you want the hook execute.

For instance:

```
{hook h='displayLeftColumn' mod='blockcart'}
```

## Creating your own hook <a href="#managinghooks-creatingyourownhook" id="managinghooks-creatingyourownhook"></a>

You can create new PrestaShop hooks by adding a new record in the `ps_hook` table in your MySQL database. You could do it the hard way:

```
INSERT INTO `ps_hook` (`name`, `title`, `description`) VALUES ('nameOfHook', 'The name of your hook', 'This is a custom hook!');
```

...but PrestaShop enables you to do it the easy way:

```
$this->registerHook('NameOfHook');
```

If the hook "NameOfHook" doesn't exist, PrestaShop will create it for you. No need to do the SQL query anymore.