diff --git a/update_projects.py b/update_projects.py
index 9661844..85ec61c 100644
--- a/update_projects.py
+++ b/update_projects.py
@@ -2,15 +2,25 @@ import os
 import json
 import requests
 from datetime import datetime
+from dotenv import load_dotenv
+
+# Load environment variables from .env file
+load_dotenv()
+
+GITHUB_API_TOKEN = os.getenv("GITHUB_API_TOKEN")
 
 # GitHub API base URL
 BASE_URL = "https://api.github.com/repos/"
 
 # Function to get the default branch name for a GitHub repository
-def get_default_branch(repo):
+def get_default_branch(repo, access_token):
     try:
         url = f"{BASE_URL}{repo}"
-        response = requests.get(url)
+        headers = {
+            "Authorization": f"Bearer {access_token}",
+            "Accept": "application/json",
+        }
+        response = requests.get(url, headers=headers)
         response.raise_for_status()
         repo_data = response.json()
         default_branch = repo_data["default_branch"]
@@ -20,22 +30,45 @@ def get_default_branch(repo):
         return None
 
 # Function to get the timestamp of the last commit date for a GitHub repository
-def get_last_commit_timestamp(repo):
-    default_branch = get_default_branch(repo)
+def get_last_commit_timestamp(repo, access_token):
+    default_branch = get_default_branch(repo, access_token)
     if default_branch:
-        try:
-            url = f"{BASE_URL}{repo}/commits/{default_branch}"
-            response = requests.get(url)
-            response.raise_for_status()
-            commit_data = response.json()
-            last_commit_date = commit_data["commit"]["committer"]["date"]
-            # Convert last_commit_date to Unix timestamp
-            timestamp = datetime.strptime(last_commit_date, '%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ').timestamp()
-            return int(timestamp)
-        except Exception as e:
-            print(f"Error fetching last commit date for {repo}: {str(e)}")
+        url = f"{BASE_URL}{repo}/commits/{default_branch}"
+        headers = {
+            "Authorization": f"Bearer {access_token}",
+            "X-GitHub-Api-Version": "2022-11-28",
+            "Accept": "application/json",
+        }
+        response = requests.get(url, headers=headers)
+        response.raise_for_status()
+        commit_data = response.json()
+        last_commit_date = commit_data["commit"]["author"]["date"]
+        # Convert last_commit_date to Unix timestamp
+        timestamp = datetime.strptime(last_commit_date, '%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ').timestamp()
+        return int(timestamp)
     return None
 
+def get_last_release_version(repo, access_token):
+    try:
+        url = f"{BASE_URL}{repo}/releases/latest"
+        headers = {
+            "Authorization": f"Bearer {access_token}",
+            "Accept": "application/json",
+        }
+        response = requests.get(url, headers=headers)
+
+        # Check if the response status code indicates that the release does not exist
+        if response.status_code == 404:
+            return None
+
+        response.raise_for_status()
+        release_data = response.json()
+        last_release_version = release_data["tag_name"]
+        return last_release_version
+    except Exception as e:
+        print(f"Error fetching last release version for {repo}: {str(e)}")
+        return None
+
 # Path to the projects.json file
 projects_json_path = os.path.expanduser("~/GitHub/jonasjones.dev/src/routes/projects/projects.json")
 
@@ -47,12 +80,18 @@ with open(projects_json_path, "r") as file:
 for project in projects_data:
     gh_api = project.get("gh_api")
     if gh_api:
-        last_commit_timestamp = get_last_commit_timestamp(gh_api)
+        last_commit_timestamp = get_last_commit_timestamp(gh_api, GITHUB_API_TOKEN)
+        last_release_version = get_last_release_version(gh_api, GITHUB_API_TOKEN)
         if last_commit_timestamp:
             project["last_update"] = last_commit_timestamp
+        if last_release_version:
+            project["version"] = last_release_version.replace("v", "")
+
+# sort projects alphabetically
+projects_data = sorted(projects_data, key=lambda x: x["title"])
 
 # Save the updated data back to the projects.json file
 with open(projects_json_path, "w") as file:
     json.dump(projects_data, file, indent=2)
 
-print("Updated projects.json with last_update (Unix timestamp) information.")
+print("Updated projects.json")