diff --git a/ci/build_test_release.go b/ci/build_test_release.go
index 23194aa..6bf7408 100644
--- a/ci/build_test_release.go
+++ b/ci/build_test_release.go
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@ func main() {
 
 	buildDir := test.Directory("/src_d/src/")
 
+	Coco_var := os.Getenv("Coco_Version")
+
+
 	for _, goos := range geese {
 		path := fmt.Sprintf("/dist/")
 		filename := fmt.Sprintf("/dist/cocommit-%s", goos)
@@ -50,7 +53,7 @@ func main() {
 		build := test.
 			WithEnvVariable("GOOS", goos).
 			WithEnvVariable("GOARCH", goarch).
-			WithExec([]string{"go", "build", "-o", filename}).WithEnvVariable("CI", "true")
+			WithExec([]string{"go", "build", "-o", filename, "-ldflags", "-X github.com/Slug-Boi/cocommit/src/cmd.Coco_Version="+Coco_var}).WithEnvVariable("CI", "true")
 
 		buildDir = buildDir.WithDirectory(path, build.Directory(path))
 
@@ -63,7 +66,7 @@ func main() {
 	build := test.
 		WithEnvVariable("GOOS", "darwin").
 		WithEnvVariable("GOARCH", "arm64").
-		WithExec([]string{"go", "build", "-o", filename}).WithEnvVariable("CI", "true")
+		WithExec([]string{"go", "build", "-o", filename, "-ldflags", "-X github.com/Slug-Boi/cocommit/src/cmd.Coco_Version="+Coco_var}).WithEnvVariable("CI", "true")
 
 	buildDir = buildDir.WithDirectory(path, build.Directory(path))
 
diff --git a/src/cmd/root.go b/src/cmd/root.go
index 83952ef..6bda6ca 100644
--- a/src/cmd/root.go
+++ b/src/cmd/root.go
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
+// Variables lives in here in case of possible future check of updates on running the CLI
+var Coco_Version string
+
 // rootCmd represents the base command when called without any subcommands
 // func RootCmd() *cobra.Command {
 var rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
@@ -34,8 +37,14 @@ var rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		pflag, _ := cmd.Flags().GetBool("print")
 		tflag, _ := cmd.Flags().GetBool("test_print")
 		aflag, _ := cmd.Flags().GetBool("authors")
-		gflag, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString("git")
-
+		vflag, _ := cmd.Flags().GetBool("version")
+    gflag, _ := cmd.Flags().GetString("git")
+    
+		if vflag {
+			fmt.Println("Cocommit version:", Coco_Version)
+			os.Exit(0)
+    }
+      
 		var git_flags []string
 		// runs the git commit command
 		if gflag != "" {
@@ -121,5 +130,6 @@ func init() {
 	rootCmd.Flags().BoolP("test_print", "t", false, "Prints the commit message to the console without running the git commit command")
 	rootCmd.Flags().BoolP("message", "m", false, "Does nothing but allows for -m to be used in the command")
 	rootCmd.Flags().BoolP("authors", "a", false, "Runs the author list TUI")
+	rootCmd.Flags().BoolP("version", "v", false, "Prints the version of the cocommit cli tool")
 	rootCmd.Flags().StringP("git", "g", "", "Adds the given flags to the git command")
 }
diff --git a/src/cmd/update.go b/src/cmd/update.go
index cc18a4b..0fd7906 100644
--- a/src/cmd/update.go
+++ b/src/cmd/update.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package cmd
 import (
 	"archive/tar"
 	"compress/gzip"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"log"
@@ -17,6 +18,11 @@ import (
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
+
+type github_release struct {
+	TagName string `json:"tag_name"`
+}
+
 // updateCmd represents the update command
 var updateCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use:   "update",
@@ -25,6 +31,33 @@ var updateCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		gflag, _ := cmd.Flags().GetBool("go-get")
 
+		// check version of the cli tool
+		Github, err := http.Get("https://api.github.com/repos/Slug-Boi/cocommit/releases/latest")
+		if err != nil {
+			fmt.Println("Error getting latest release version")
+			fmt.Println("Would you still like to update? (y/n)")
+			var input string
+			fmt.Scanln(&input)
+			if input == "y" || input == "Y" || input == "yes" {
+				fmt.Println("Running update script to update cocommit cli tool")
+			} else {
+				fmt.Println("Update cancelled")
+				return
+			}
+		}
+		defer Github.Body.Close()
+
+		var release github_release
+		err = json.NewDecoder(Github.Body).Decode(&release)
+		if err != nil {
+			panic("Error decoding json")
+		}
+
+		if release.TagName == Coco_Version {
+			fmt.Println("Cocommit cli tool is already up to date")
+			return
+		}
+
 		if gflag {
 			fmt.Println("Running go get command to update cocommit cli tool")
 			cmd := exec.Command("go", "get", "-u", "github.com/Slug-Boi/cocommit")
@@ -34,7 +67,7 @@ var updateCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			}
 			fmt.Println("Cocommit cli tool updated successfully")
 		} else {
-			fmt.Println("Running update script to update cocommit cli tool")
+			fmt.Println("Running binary replace to update cocommit cli tool")
 			updateScript()
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/main.go b/src/main.go
index 23cefd3..e6236c9 100644
--- a/src/main.go
+++ b/src/main.go
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
-/*
-Copyright © 2024 NAME HERE <EMAIL ADDRESS>
-
-*/
 package main
 
 import "github.com/Slug-Boi/cocommit/src/cmd"