# How to Update Hallmark to the Latest Version: Complete Guide for Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex

> Update Hallmark to the latest version easily. Re-running npx skills add nutlope/hallmark overwrites local files, ensuring you have the newest Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex features.

- Repository: [Hassan El Mghari/hallmark](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark)
- Tags: how-to-guide
- Published: 2026-07-28

---

**Re-running `npx skills add nutlope/hallmark` fetches the latest revision from the repository's main branch and overwrites your local skill files.**

Hallmark is distributed as a **skill** rather than a traditional npm package, which means you don't manage it through version numbers or semver ranges. To update Hallmark to the latest version, you use the same command that performed the initial installation. This approach ensures you always receive the freshest themes, macrostructures, and slop-test rules directly from the `Nutlope/hallmark` repository.

## The Universal Update Command

Regardless of which AI coding tool you use, the fastest way to update Hallmark is to re-run the installation command:

```bash
npx skills add nutlope/hallmark

```

This command always pulls the **tip of the main branch**, cloning or fetching the current `HEAD` and copying it into your environment's skill directory. Because Hallmark is version-agnostic, you never need to specify a version number; the tool simply overwrites existing files with the newest copies of [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark/blob/main/SKILL.md) and the `references/` folder.

## Environment-Specific Update Paths

While the `npx` command handles detection automatically, understanding where Hallmark lives on your system helps when troubleshooting or performing manual updates.

### Claude Code

In Claude Code environments, Hallmark resides at `~/.claude/skills/hallmark/`. The update process copies two items:

- [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark/blob/main/SKILL.md) → `~/.claude/skills/hallmark/SKILL.md`
- `references/` → `~/.claude/skills/hallmark/references/`

Run the following to update and verify the copy:

```bash
npx skills add nutlope/hallmark && \
cp -r $(npm root -g)/nutlope/hallmark/skills/hallmark/* ~/.claude/skills/hallmark/

```

### Cursor

Cursor stores the skill at `.cursor/rules/hallmark.mdc`. Unlike Claude Code, Cursor uses the body of [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark/blob/main/SKILL.md) **without the YAML front-matter**. The `npx` command handles this conversion, but you can also perform it manually:

```bash
npx skills add nutlope/hallmark && \
sed '/^---/,/^---/d' $(npm root -g)/nutlope/hallmark/skills/hallmark/SKILL.md > .cursor/rules/hallmark.mdc

```

This strips the metadata headers and leaves only the rule content that Cursor expects.

### Codex

Codex supports both personal (`~/.codex/skills/hallmark/`) and project-scoped (`.codex/skills/hallmark/`) installations. The update mechanism remains identical:

```bash
npx skills add nutlope/hallmark && \
cp -r $(npm root -g)/nutlope/hallmark/skills/hallmark/* .codex/skills/hallmark/

```

## How the Update Mechanism Works

When you execute `npx skills add nutlope/hallmark`, the `skills` package performs three operations:

1. **Clones** the `nutlope/hallmark` repository at the current `main` HEAD
2. **Copies** [`skills/hallmark/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark/blob/main/skills/hallmark/SKILL.md) and the entire `references/` directory to the target location
3. **Overwrites** any existing Hallmark files, effectively updating them to the newest version

The [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark/blob/main/SKILL.md) file at [`skills/hallmark/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark/blob/main/skills/hallmark/SKILL.md) serves as the **canonical source** for Hallmark's behavior, defining the rule-set that drives the tool's verbs and pipelines. The `references/` folder contains supporting documentation including themes, macrostructures, and micro-interaction definitions.

## Manual Update Method

If you prefer not to use `npx` or need to update an air-gapped system:

1. **Download** the latest [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark/blob/main/SKILL.md) and `references/` from the GitHub repository ([`skills/hallmark/`](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark/tree/main/skills/hallmark))
2. **Replace** the old copies in the appropriate directory for your platform
3. **Restart** your IDE (Claude Code, Cursor, or Codex) to reload the skill files

For Cursor users, remember to remove the YAML front-matter from [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark/blob/main/SKILL.md) before saving it as `hallmark.mdc`.

## Verifying Your Update

After updating, you can confirm success by checking the version stamp in generated output. Hallmark embeds a comment in each CSS file it generates, such as:

```css
/* Hallmark · v1.2.0 */

```

This reflects the version bundled in the skill at the time of download. Additionally, you can inspect the [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark/blob/main/SKILL.md) file in your local skill directory to ensure it matches the latest commit on the main branch.

## Summary

- **Run `npx skills add nutlope/hallmark`** to update Hallmark to the latest version; this command always pulls the current main branch tip
- **Claude Code** stores skills in `~/.claude/skills/hallmark/`, **Cursor** uses `.cursor/rules/hallmark.mdc`, and **Codex** uses `~/.codex/skills/hallmark/` or project-scoped paths
- **Manual updates** require copying [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark/blob/main/SKILL.md) and the `references/` folder from the repository, stripping YAML front-matter for Cursor installations
- **Verify updates** by checking version comments in generated CSS or comparing your local [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark/blob/main/SKILL.md) against the GitHub source

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Do I need to uninstall Hallmark before updating?

No. The `npx skills add` command automatically overwrites existing files in the target directory. Because the skill is distributed as static files rather than a compiled binary, there is no uninstall step required—simply running the update command replaces the old version completely.

### How do I know if I'm running the latest version?

Check the first comment line in any CSS file generated by Hallmark, which contains a version stamp like `/* Hallmark · v1.2.0 */`. Alternatively, compare your local [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark/blob/main/SKILL.md) file with the [canonical version](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark/blob/main/skills/hallmark/SKILL.md) in the repository. If the content differs, you are not on the latest version.

### Can I pin Hallmark to a specific version?

No. Hallmark is designed as a version-agnostic skill that always operates from the main branch tip. The `npx skills add` command does not support semver ranges or commit hashes. If you require a specific version, you must manually download the files from the desired commit in the GitHub history and place them in your skill directory.

### Where are the Hallmark skill files stored after updating?

The location depends on your environment. Claude Code places them in `~/.claude/skills/hallmark/`, Cursor places the processed file at `.cursor/rules/hallmark.mdc`, and Codex uses either `~/.codex/skills/hallmark/` for global installations or `.codex/skills/hallmark/` for project-scoped setups. The `npx` command automatically detects your environment and copies files to the correct path.