---
id: 03-renovate-adoption
epic: ci-security-and-supply-chain
title: Renovate adoption
type: technical-story
status: done
feature: tooling
depends-on: []
blocks: [09-ci-security-guide-and-docs]
created: 2026-05-14T18:59:12+02:00
updated: 2026-05-14T19:21:52.308Z
---

## Goal

Ship `.github/renovate.json` configuring automated dependency management: grouped per-ecosystem npm bumps, Dockerfile base-image tracking, GitHub Actions SHA pinning, automerge for green minor+patch PRs, and a single dependency dashboard issue.

## Why

Major-tag pinning for GitHub Actions is documented insecure — the 2025 `tj-actions/changed-files` incident proved it. Renovate's `pinGitHubActionDigests` preset automates the one-time SHA-pin sweep and keeps SHAs current thereafter. Grouping ecosystem clusters (Sentry, OTel, tRPC, Payload, Inversify) into weekly PRs prevents noise while ensuring drift is surfaced. Automerge on green minor+patch PRs removes human toil for routine bumps.

## Done when

- `.github/renovate.json` exists and is valid JSON, extending presets: `config:base`, `helpers:pinGitHubActionDigests`, `:separateMajorReleases`, `:automergeMinor`, `:automergePatch`.
- `packageRules` groups `@sentry/*`, `@opentelemetry/*`, `@trpc/*`, `payload*`, and `inversify*` into per-cluster weekly PRs.
- Dockerfile manager is enabled for `.sandcastle/Dockerfile`.
- `dependencyDashboard: true` is set (opens a single Renovate-managed issue summarising open + queued PRs, labeled `renovate/dashboard` per PRD Q6).
- Renovate's bump commits use `chore(deps):` (minor/patch) and `chore(deps-major):` (major) commit-message prefixes so release-please's per-package bump rules apply cleanly.
- `pnpm typecheck && pnpm lint && pnpm test && pnpm conformance && pnpm fallow:audit && pnpm coverage:diff` all pass (no executable code change; JSON config only).

## In scope

- `.github/renovate.json` — full Renovate configuration.

## Out of scope

- Verifying the first Renovate PR (SHA-pin sweep) — that happens when the GitHub App runs, not at commit time. The success criterion (all `@v<N>` pins rewritten to SHAs) is verified when Renovate's first PR merges.
- Renovate Dependency Dashboard → `docs/work/` task integration — explicitly out of scope in the PRD.

## Tasks

- [x] Create `.github/renovate.json` extending presets `config:base`, `helpers:pinGitHubActionDigests`, `:separateMajorReleases`, `:automergeMinor`, `:automergePatch`; add `packageRules` grouping `@sentry/*`, `@opentelemetry/*`, `@trpc/*`, `payload*`, `inversify*` into weekly per-cluster PRs; enable Dockerfile manager for `.sandcastle/Dockerfile`; set `dependencyDashboard: true`; set `commitMessagePrefix` to enforce `chore(deps):` / `chore(deps-major):` per Conventional Commits; one commit, all gates pass.
