Configuring Dependabot for dependency management #4
Description
Maintaining current dependencies is critical for security and compatibility in any library that others depend upon. Dependabot automates the discovery and proposal of dependency updates, allowing us to stay current without manual tracking overhead.
For a Go module, Dependabot monitors both direct and indirect dependencies declared in go.mod. When updates become available, it automatically opens pull requests with the changes, allowing us to review and test updates in our CI pipeline before merging. This creates a sustainable rhythm of dependency maintenance rather than letting updates accumulate into risky large migrations.
Beyond direct dependencies, we should also configure Dependabot to monitor GitHub Actions workflow dependencies. As our CI infrastructure evolves and GitHub Actions receive security updates, we want automated notifications to keep our automation secure and functional.
The configuration should strike a balance between staying current and avoiding notification fatigue. Weekly update checks provide sufficient responsiveness without overwhelming maintainers with daily pull requests for minor version bumps.
Process Considerations:
- Review Dependabot PRs promptly to maintain velocity
- Rely on CI pipelines to validate update safety
- Consider enabling auto-merge for patch-level updates after CI passes
- Document the dependency update policy in
CONTRIBUTING.md
Acceptance Criteria
- Dependabot configuration file exists and is syntactically valid
- Dependabot successfully scans both Go modules and GitHub Actions
- First set of dependency PRs appears (if updates are available)
- Documentation mentions dependency management process