diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 55643e7..47a91d8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -1,11 +1,8 @@
-name: npm version && npm publish
+name: tag and release
 
 on:
   workflow_dispatch:
-    inputs:
-      newversion:
-        description: 'npm version {major,minor,patch}'
-        required: true
+
 permissions:
   contents: write
 jobs:
@@ -28,13 +25,9 @@ jobs:
       with:
         node-version: 18
         cache: 'npm'
-
     - run: npm ci
     - run: npm run build
     - run: npm test
-    - run: git config --global user.email "travis.laduke@zerotier.com"
-    - run: git config --global user.name "travis laduke"
-    - run: npm version ${{ github.event.inputs.newversion }}
     - run: npm run release
       env:
         GH_RELEASE_GITHUB_API_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d5c2563..de8676f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -36,17 +36,26 @@ Releases contain the openapi and json-schema files.
  
 Try to use [conventional commit](https://www.conventionalcommits.org/en/v1.0.0/#summary) messages if you want. They will appear in the changelog.
 
+This is a multistep process now due to branch protection. 
+
+### Locally, create version: 
+When main is in a state you'd like to create a new release for:
+
+- create a feature branch off `main`
+- `npm version major|minor|patch`
+    This bumps the version and updates the changelog
+- `npm run build`
+  This is a little chicken and eggy. The build script updates the the spec version based on the npm package version, which just got updated above.
+- commit && push 
+- create PR
+- get merged to `main`
+
+### On Github, create release: 
 - Go into the repo's Github Actions
-- Click "npm version && npm publish"
+- Click "tag and release"
 - Click Run Workflow
-- Type "patch", "minor", or "major" and submit
+- Run it off `main`
 
-On the CLI you can do: 
-
-``` sh
-npm version {major,minor,patch}
-npm run release
-```
 
 The url to the latest release of the openapi spec is: `https://github.com/zerotier/zerotier-one-api-spec/releases/latest/download/openapi.yaml` 
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 69ae829..aaed2c2 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@
     "format-code": "prettier --write **/*.ts",
     "lint:openapi": "redocly lint tsp-output/@typespec/openapi3/openapi.yaml",
     "lint:code": "eslint .",
-    "release": "git push --follow-tags && gh-release -y -a=tsp-output/@typespec/openapi3/openapi.yaml,tsp-output/@typespec/json-schema/json-schema.json",
+    "gh:tag": "git tag -d v${npm_package_version}; git tag v${npm_package_version}",
+    "release": "npm run gh:tag && git push --tags && gh-release -y -a=tsp-output/@typespec/openapi3/openapi.yaml,tsp-output/@typespec/json-schema/json-schema.json",
     "version": "auto-changelog -p --template keepachangelog auto-changelog --breaking-pattern 'BREAKING CHANGE:' && git add CHANGELOG.md",
     "watch": "run-p watch:*",
     "watch:compile": "npm run compile -- --watch",