Agents Observe, a new open-source project, enables real-time monitoring of Claude Code agents through Docker-powered observability servers. The tool captures every hook event, tool call, and subagent interaction in live dashboards, replacing fragmented terminal logs with actionable insights.

Built with Docker and SQLite, the system streams events directly from Claude's JSONL files using non-blocking hooks. Unlike traditional OTEL instrumentation, this approach preserves Claude's performance while providing granular visibility into agent hierarchies and tool usage patterns. Developers can filter sessions by agent type, search across all events, and jump to specific moments in the execution timeline.

The architecture decouples data collection from presentation: a lightweight server stores events while a React dashboard renders dynamic agent relationships and execution flows. Standalone installation requires Docker and Node.js, with project-specific hooks auto-generated via CLI commands. Docker container management handles lifecycle tracking across multiple Claude instances, automatically shutting down idle servers to conserve resources.

By making subagent spawns, file operations, and command executions visible in real time, Agents Observe transforms debugging from post-mortem log analysis into proactive intervention. Teams can now observe why a documentation agent failed mid-task or trace destructive commands through parallel agent trees. The tool's ability to persist historical sessions also reveals long-term behavioral patterns in autonomous workflows.