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

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:

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 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 → ~/.claude/skills/hallmark/SKILL.md
• references/ → ~/.claude/skills/hallmark/references/

Run the following to update and verify the copy:

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 without the YAML front-matter. The npx command handles this conversion, but you can also perform it manually:

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:

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 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 file at 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 and references/ from the GitHub repository (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 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:

/* Hallmark · v1.2.0 */

This reflects the version bundled in the skill at the time of download. Additionally, you can inspect the 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 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 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 file with the canonical version 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.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}