diff --git a/src/cmd/root.go b/src/cmd/root.go
index acec4bd..cf07393 100644
--- a/src/cmd/root.go
+++ b/src/cmd/root.go
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 package cmd
 
 import (
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -14,6 +16,9 @@ import (
 
 // Variables lives in here in case of possible future check of updates on running the CLI
 var Coco_Version string
+var update bool
+
+// github_tag struct to hold the tag name from the github api response
 
 // rootCmd represents the base command when called without any subcommands
 // func RootCmd() *cobra.Command {
@@ -67,6 +72,9 @@ var rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			screen.MoveTopLeft()
 			sel_auth := tui.Entry()
 			message = utils.Commit(args[0], sel_auth)
+			if update {
+				fmt.Print("--* A new version of cocommit is available. Please update to the latest version *-- \n\n")
+			}
 			if tflag {
 				fmt.Println(message)
 				return
@@ -74,6 +82,9 @@ var rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			goto tui
 		case 1:
 			if len(args) == 1 {
+				if update {
+					fmt.Print("--* A new version of cocommit is available. Please update to the latest version *-- \n\n")
+				}
 				if tflag {
 					fmt.Println(args[0])
 					return
@@ -106,6 +117,10 @@ var rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
 			return
 		}
 
+		// if update {
+		// 	fmt.Print("--* A new version of cocommit is available. Please update to the latest version *-- \n\n")
+		// }
+
 		utils.GitWrapper(message, git_flags)
 		// prints the commit message to the console if the print flag is set
 		if pflag {
@@ -120,6 +135,9 @@ var rootCmd = &cobra.Command{
 // Execute adds all child commands to the root command and sets flags appropriately.
 // This is called by main.main(). It only needs to happen once to the rootCmd.
 func Execute() {
+	// check for update
+	check_update()
+
 	// author file check
 	author_file := utils.CheckAuthorFile()
 	// define users
@@ -131,6 +149,28 @@ func Execute() {
 	}
 }
 
+// function to check for updates (check tag version from repo with the current version)
+func check_update() {
+	var tag github_release
+	tags, err :=  http.Get("https://api.github.com/repos/Slug-Boi/cocommit/releases/latest")
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Println("Could not fetch tags from github API")
+		return
+	}
+	defer tags.Body.Close()
+	
+	err = json.NewDecoder(tags.Body).Decode(&tag)
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Println("Error decoding json response from github API")
+		return
+	}
+
+	// NOTE: maybe change to a split and parse method idk if this can cause issues
+	if tag.TagName != Coco_Version {
+		update = true
+	}
+}
+
 func init() {
 	//rootCmD := RootCmd()
 	rootCmd.Flags().BoolP("print-output", "o", false, "Prints the commit message to the console")