diff --git a/INSTALL.md b/INSTALL.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c6fd22c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/INSTALL.md
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+## Installation
+
+This plugin gets installed through ```bitops.config.yaml``` in the bitops core level. This file is located [here](https://github.com/bitovi/bitops/blob/plugins/bitops.config.yaml)
+
+
+### Sample Config
+
+```
+bitops:
+  fail_fast: true 
+  run_mode: default
+  logging:      
+    level: DEBUG
+    color:
+      enabled: true
+    filename: bitops-run
+    err: bitops.logs
+    path: /var/logs/bitops
+  opsrepo_root_default_dir: _default
+  plugins:    
+    cloudformation:
+      source: https://github.com/bitops-plugins/cloudformation
+...
+...
+...
+
+```
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a2ebeee..331c4f7 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,36 +1,19 @@
 # Bitops Plugin for Cloudformation
 
-## Introduction
-This plugin will let BitOps to automatically deploy ``cloudformation`` templates on AWS platform. 
+## Table of contents
 
-This plugin also manages ``create-stack`` or ``update-stack`` natively at the plugin level.
+1. [Introduction](#Introduction)
+2. [Installation](https://github.com/bitops-plugins/cloudformation/blob/main/INSTALL.md)
+3. [Deployment](#Deployment)
 
-## Installation
+---
 
-This plugin gets installed through ```bitops.config.yaml```.
 
-### Sample Config
+## Introduction
+This plugin will let BitOps to automatically deploy ``cloudformation`` templates on AWS platform. 
 
-```
-bitops:
-  fail_fast: true 
-  run_mode: default
-  logging:      
-    level: DEBUG
-    color:
-      enabled: true
-    filename: bitops-run
-    err: bitops.logs
-    path: /var/logs/bitops
-  opsrepo_root_default_dir: _default
-  plugins:    
-    cloudformation:
-      source: https://github.com/bitops-plugins/cloudformation
-...
-...
-...
+This plugin also manages ``create-stack`` or ``update-stack`` natively at the plugin level.
 
-```
 
 ## Deployment
 
@@ -73,8 +56,15 @@ Calls `aws cloudformation validate-template`
 * **BitOps Property:** `stack-action`
 * **Environment Variable:** `BITOPS_CFN_STACK_ACTION`
 * **default:** `deploy`
+* **required:** `"true"`
+
+Controls what cloudformation action to apply on the stack. This config is a required parameter. 
 
-Controls what cloudformation action to apply on the stack
+### skip-deploy
+* **BitOps Property:** `skip-deploy`
+* **Environment Variable:** `CFN_SKIP_DEPLOY`
+* **default:** `""`
+* **Description:** If set to true, regardless of the stack-action, deployment actions will be skipped.
 
 -------------------
 
@@ -85,8 +75,9 @@ Controls what cloudformation action to apply on the stack
 * **BitOps Property:** `cfn-stack-name`
 * **Environment Variable:** `BITOPS_CFN_STACK_NAME`
 * **default:** `""`
+* **required:** `"true"`
 
-Cloudformation stack name
+Cloudformation stack name. This config is a required parameter.
 
 -------------------
 ### capabilities
@@ -118,10 +109,14 @@ Cloudformation capabilities
 * **BitOps Property:** `cfn-files`
 
 Allows for param files to be used. Has the following child-properties
+
 #### template-file
 * **BitOps Property:** `cfn-files.template-file`
+* **Environment Variable:** `BITOPS_CFN_TEMPLATE_FILENAME`
+* **required:** `"true"`
+
+Template file to apply the params against. This config is a required parameter.
 
-Template file to apply the params against
 #### parameters
 * **BitOps Property:** `cfn-files.parameters`
 
@@ -159,5 +154,5 @@ The directory within the ansible workspace that contains json files that will be
 Although not captured in `bitops.config.yml`, the following environment variables can be set to further customize behaviour
 
 -------------------
-### SKIP_DEPLOY_CLOUDFORMATION
+### CFN_SKIP_DEPLOY
 Will skill all cloudformation executions. This superseeds all other configuration
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/bitops.schema.yaml b/bitops.schema.yaml
index 1591d18..9162e61 100644
--- a/bitops.schema.yaml
+++ b/bitops.schema.yaml
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ cloudformation:
           type: string
           export_env: CFN_STACK_NAME
           required: true
+        skip-deploy:
+          type: boolean
+          parameter: skip-deploy
+          export_env: CFN_SKIP_DEPLOY
         s3bucket:
           type: string
           export_env: CFN_TEMPLATE_S3_BUCKET
@@ -35,7 +39,7 @@ cloudformation:
             template-file:
               type: string
               export_env: CFN_TEMPLATE_FILENAME
-              required: True
+              required: true
             parameters:
               type: object
               properties:
diff --git a/deploy.sh b/deploy.sh
index e4be059..0c7ef3a 100755
--- a/deploy.sh
+++ b/deploy.sh
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ echo "Welcome to the CloudFormation BitOps plugin!"
 # export BITOPS_SCHEMA_ENV_FILE="$CLOUDFORMATION_ROOT/ENV_FILE"
 # export BITOPS_CONFIG_SCHEMA="$PLUGINS_DIR/cloudformation/bitops.schema.yaml"
 export PLUGINS_ROOT_DIR="$BITOPS_PLUGINS_DIR"
-export CLOUDFORMATION_ROOT_SCRIPTS="$BITOPS_PLUGIN_DIR"
+export CLOUDFORMATION_ROOT_SCRIPTS="$BITOPS_INSTALLED_PLUGIN_DIR"
 export CLOUDFORMATION_ROOT_OPERATIONS="$BITOPS_OPSREPO_ENVIRONMENT_DIR"
 export CFN_STACK_NAME="$BITOPS_CFN_STACK_NAME"
 export CFN_TEMPLATE_FILENAME="$BITOPS_CFN_TEMPLATE_FILENAME"
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ export CFN_TEMPLATE_PARAMS_FILENAME="$BITOPS_CFN_TEMPLATE_PARAMS_FILENAME"
 export CFN_TEMPLATE_VALIDATION="$BITOPS_CFN_TEMPLATE_VALIDATION"
 export CFN_STACK_ACTION="$BITOPS_CFN_STACK_ACTION"
 export CFN_PARAMS_FLAG="$BITOPS_CFN_PARAMS_FLAG"
+export CFN_CAPABILITY="$BITOPS_CFN_CAPABILITY"
 
 export CLOUDFORMATION_BITOPS_CONFIG="$CLOUDFORMATION_ROOT_OPERATIONS/bitops.config.yaml" 
 export BITOPS_SCHEMA_ENV_FILE="$CLOUDFORMATION_ROOT_OPERATIONS/ENV_FILE"
@@ -26,6 +27,11 @@ export BITOPS_CONFIG_SCHEMA="$CLOUDFORMATION_ROOT_SCRIPTS/bitops.schema.yaml"
 
 export SCRIPTS_DIR="$CLOUDFORMATION_ROOT_SCRIPTS/scripts"
 
+if [ "$CFN_SKIP_DEPLOY" == "true" ]; then
+  echo "CFN_SKIP_DEPLOY is set.  Skipping."
+  exit 0
+fi
+
 if [ ! -d "$CLOUDFORMATION_ROOT_OPERATIONS" ]; then
   echo "No cloudformation directory.  Skipping."
   exit 0
@@ -54,6 +60,14 @@ else
     fi
 fi
 
+aws sts get-caller-identity
+result=$?
+if [ $result != 0 ]; then
+    echo "AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID or AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY required for AWS authentication are not set or invalid."
+    echo "Check out BitOps documentation to understand what you're missing https://bitops.sh/examples/#docker-run-examples"
+    exit $result
+fi
+
 
 # Check for Before Deploy Scripts
 # bash $SCRIPTS_DIR/deploy/before-deploy.sh "$CLOUDFORMATION_ROOT_OPERATIONS"
@@ -92,7 +106,7 @@ cd $CLOUDFORMATION_ROOT_OPERATIONS
 # bash $SCRIPTS_DIR/aws/sts.get-caller-identity.sh
 
 # always run cfn template validation first
-if [[ "${CFN_TEMPLATE_VALIDATION}" == "True" ]] || [[ "${CFN_TEMPLATE_VALIDATION}" == "true" ]]; then
+if [[ "${CFN_TEMPLATE_VALIDATION}" == "true" ]] || [[ "${CFN_TEMPLATE_VALIDATION}" == "True" ]]; then
   echo "Running Cloudformation Template Validation"
   bash $CLOUDFORMATION_ROOT_SCRIPTS/scripts/cloudformation_validate.sh "$CFN_TEMPLATE_FILENAME"
 fi