diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index fac59c8..2683d05 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 node_modules
 .env
 main.js
-mockdata.ts
\ No newline at end of file
+mockdata.ts
+dist/
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/esbuild.config.mjs b/esbuild.config.mjs
index 1e43429..ebbdb38 100644
--- a/esbuild.config.mjs
+++ b/esbuild.config.mjs
@@ -25,13 +25,19 @@ const copy_to_plugins = {
 			if (!fs.existsSync(plugin_path)) {
 				fs.mkdirSync(plugin_path);
 			}
+			// copy manifest and styles to dist folder
+			fs.copyFileSync("./manifest.json", "./dist/manifest.json");
+			fs.copyFileSync("./styles.css", "./dist/styles.css");
 			
-			fs.copyFileSync("./main.js", path.join(plugin_path, "main.js"));
-			fs.copyFileSync("./manifest.json", path.join(plugin_path, "manifest.json"));
-			fs.copyFileSync("./styles.css", path.join(plugin_path, "styles.css"));
+
+
+			fs.copyFileSync("./dist/main.js", path.join(plugin_path, "main.js"));
+			fs.copyFileSync("./dist/manifest.json", path.join(plugin_path, "manifest.json"));
+			fs.copyFileSync("./dist/styles.css", path.join(plugin_path, "styles.css"));
 			// add empty .hotreload file
 			fs.writeFileSync(path.join(plugin_path, ".hotreload"), "");
 			
+
 			console.log("Plugin built and copied to obsidian plugins folder");
 		});
 	}
@@ -63,7 +69,7 @@ const context = await esbuild.context({
 	logLevel: "info",
 	sourcemap: "inline",
 	treeShaking: true,
-	outfile: "main.js",
+	outfile: "dist/main.js",
 	plugins: [
 		copy_to_plugins
 	]
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 139cf0e..be51da8 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 	"scripts": {
 		"dev": "node esbuild.config.mjs",
 		"build": "tsc -noEmit -skipLibCheck && node esbuild.config.mjs production",
+		"release": "node release.js",
 		"version": "node version-bump.mjs && git add manifest.json versions.json"
 	},
 	"keywords": [
diff --git a/release.js b/release.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7ff0d17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/release.js
@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+import dotenv from 'dotenv';
+import fs from 'fs';
+import readline from 'readline';
+import archiver from 'archiver';
+import axios from 'axios';
+import { exec } from 'child_process';
+
+dotenv.config();
+
+// Read package.json and manifest.json
+const package_json = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('./package.json', 'utf8'));
+const manifest_json = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('./manifest.json', 'utf8'));
+const version = package_json.version;
+const manifest_id = manifest_json.id;
+
+
+// Replace calls to uploadAsset with uploadAssetCurl in your existing code
+
+
+// Create readline interface
+const rl_interface = readline.createInterface({
+  input: process.stdin,
+  output: process.stdout
+});
+
+rl_interface.question(`Confirm release version (${version}): `, (confirmed_version) => {
+  if (!confirmed_version) confirmed_version = version;
+  const release_name = confirmed_version;
+  console.log(`Creating release for version ${confirmed_version}`);
+  rl_interface.question('Enter release description: ', async (release_description) => {
+    rl_interface.close();
+
+    // Prepare release data
+    const release_data = {
+      tag_name: `${confirmed_version}`,
+      name: release_name,
+      body: release_description,
+      draft: false,
+      prerelease: false
+    };
+
+    // Environment variables
+    const github_token = process.env.GH_TOKEN;
+    const github_repo = process.env.GH_REPO;
+
+    if (!github_token || !github_repo) {
+      console.error('Error: GitHub token or repository not set in .env file.');
+      return;
+    }
+
+    try {
+      // Create GitHub release
+      const release_response = await axios.post(`https://api.github.com/repos/${github_repo}/releases`, release_data, {
+        headers: {
+          'Content-Type': 'application/json',
+          'Authorization': `Bearer ${github_token}`
+        }
+      });
+
+      const release_info = release_response.data;
+      console.log('Release created:', release_info);
+
+      const uploadAsset = async (assetPath, assetName) => {
+        const uploadUrl = `${release_info.upload_url.split('{')[0]}?name=${encodeURIComponent(assetName)}`;
+        console.log(`Uploading ${assetName} to ${uploadUrl}`); // Debug log
+
+        try {
+          const stats = fs.statSync(assetPath);
+          const contentLength = stats.size;
+
+          const response = await axios.post(uploadUrl, fs.createReadStream(assetPath), {
+            headers: {
+              'Authorization': `Bearer ${github_token}`,
+              'Content-Type': 'application/octet-stream',
+              'Content-Length': contentLength
+            }
+          });
+
+          console.log(`File upload response for ${assetName}:`, response.data); // Debug log
+        } catch (error) {
+          console.error(`Error uploading file ${assetName}:`, error);
+        }
+      };
+      const uploadAssetCurl = (assetPath, assetName) => {
+        const uploadUrl = `${release_info.upload_url.split('{')[0]}?name=${encodeURIComponent(assetName)}`;
+        const mimeType = 'application/octet-stream'; // You can also use a library to determine the MIME type based on the file extension
+
+        const command = `curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer ${github_token}" -H "Content-Type: ${mimeType}" --data-binary @${assetPath} "${uploadUrl}"`;
+
+        exec(command, (error, stdout, stderr) => {
+          if (error) {
+            console.error(`Error uploading file ${assetName}:`, error);
+            return;
+          }
+          console.log(`Uploaded file: ${assetName}`);
+          console.log(stdout);
+        });
+      };
+      
+      // Create a zip file of dist folder
+      const zip_name = `${manifest_id}-${confirmed_version}.zip`;
+      const output = fs.createWriteStream(`./${zip_name}`);
+      const archive = archiver('zip', { zlib: { level: 0 } });
+
+      archive.on('error', function(err) {
+        throw err;
+      });
+
+      archive.on('end', async function() {
+        console.log('Archive wrote %d bytes', archive.pointer());
+
+        // Upload zip file after archive has been finalized
+        // await uploadAsset(`./${zip_name}`, zip_name);
+        uploadAssetCurl(`./${zip_name}`, zip_name);
+        console.log('Zip file uploaded.');
+
+        // Upload each file in dist folder
+        const files = fs.readdirSync('./dist');
+        for (const file of files) {
+          await uploadAsset(`./dist/${file}`, file);
+          console.log(`Uploaded file: ${file}`);
+        }
+
+        // Remove zip file
+        fs.unlinkSync(`./${zip_name}`);
+
+        console.log('All files uploaded.');
+      });
+
+      archive.pipe(output);
+      archive.directory('dist/', false);
+      await archive.finalize();
+
+    } catch (error) {
+      console.error('Error in release process:', error);
+    }
+  });
+});