Always use explicit configuration in CI/CD workflows rather than relying on defaults or convenience shortcuts. This includes pinning exact tool versions, specifying action parameters explicitly, and choosing reliable installation methods.

Key practices:

Example of explicit configuration:

- name: Install Go
  uses: actions/setup-go@v4
  with:
    go-version: 1.21.0  # exact version
    cache: false        # explicit cache setting

- name: Install gotestsum
  run: go install gotest.tools/gotestsum@v1.11.0  # exact version via go install

This approach ensures reproducible builds, reduces dependency on external maintainers, and makes workflow behavior predictable across different environments and over time.