diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
index e792454..e93cbd3 100644
--- a/.github/dependabot.yml
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -28,7 +28,8 @@ updates:
     commit-message:
       prefix: ci
     groups:
+      # One PR per week for ALL action bumps (including majors). Actions are
+      # low-risk and quick to eyeball together; no need for a PR each.
       actions:
-        update-types:
-          - minor
-          - patch
+        patterns:
+          - "*"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/cla.yml b/.github/workflows/cla.yml
index bcab57c..215c76b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cla.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cla.yml
@@ -30,10 +30,17 @@ permissions:
 jobs:
   cla:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # Empty until the PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN secret is configured (see SETUP above).
+    # While empty, the action step below is skipped so this check passes (green)
+    # instead of failing on every PR with "Branch cla-signatures not found". It
+    # auto-activates once the secret + cla-signatures branch exist.
+    env:
+      HAS_CLA_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN != '' }}
     # Only act on the signature comment or on PR events (not every comment).
     if: (github.event.issue.pull_request && contains(github.event.comment.body, 'I have read the CLA Document and I hereby sign the CLA')) || github.event_name == 'pull_request_target'
     steps:
       - uses: contributor-assistant/github-action@v2.6.1
+        if: env.HAS_CLA_TOKEN == 'true'
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
           PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN }}
@@ -44,6 +51,6 @@ jobs:
           # PR target branches the CLA applies to.
           allowlist: dependabot[bot],renovate[bot],*[bot]
           # Customise the bot's prompts if desired:
-          custom-notsigned-prompt: "Thanks for your contribution! Please sign our Contributor License Agreement before we can merge. Comment the line below to sign:"
+          custom-notsigned-prcomment: "Thanks for your contribution! Please sign our Contributor License Agreement before we can merge. Comment the line below to sign:"
           custom-pr-sign-comment: "I have read the CLA Document and I hereby sign the CLA"
-          custom-allsigned-prompt: "All contributors have signed the CLA. ✍️ ✅"
+          custom-allsigned-prcomment: "All contributors have signed the CLA. ✍️ ✅"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/claude-code-review.yml b/.github/workflows/claude-code-review.yml
index c396185..5474be8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/claude-code-review.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/claude-code-review.yml
@@ -12,12 +12,10 @@ on:
 
 jobs:
   claude-review:
-    # Optional: Filter by PR author
-    # if: |
-    #   github.event.pull_request.user.login == 'external-contributor' ||
-    #   github.event.pull_request.user.login == 'new-developer' ||
-    #   github.event.pull_request.author_association == 'FIRST_TIME_CONTRIBUTOR'
-
+    # The review needs CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN, which is NOT exposed to PRs that
+    # run without secrets — Dependabot PRs and PRs from forks. Skip them so the
+    # check doesn't fail with an empty token; same-repo PRs only.
+    if: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name == github.repository && github.actor != 'dependabot[bot]' }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     permissions:
       contents: read
diff --git a/.github/workflows/cli-ci.yml b/.github/workflows/cli-ci.yml
index d4bb529..9febaea 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cli-ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cli-ci.yml
@@ -40,8 +40,12 @@ jobs:
     # SSH deploy key. GitHub does NOT expose secrets to pull_request workflows
     # triggered from forks, so that checkout (and the integration tests that need
     # it) can only run for same-repo events. Fork PRs still run lint/typecheck/build.
+    #
+    # Dependabot PRs branch from this repo (so the fork check passes) but ALSO run
+    # without secrets — treat them like forks and skip the private checkout, or
+    # the mock-api clone fails with an empty DCD_SSH_DEPLOY_KEY.
     env:
-      HAS_PRIVATE_ACCESS: ${{ github.event_name != 'pull_request' || github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name == github.repository }}
+      HAS_PRIVATE_ACCESS: ${{ (github.event_name != 'pull_request' || github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name == github.repository) && github.actor != 'dependabot[bot]' }}
 
     steps:
     - name: Checkout CLI