Always explicitly declare all Makefile targets that don't create files as `.PHONY`. This prevents conflicts with potential files of the same name, makes build intentions clear, and increases reliability in CI/CD pipelines. For better readability and maintenance, place the `.PHONY` declaration directly above the corresponding target: ```makefile .PHONY: deps deps: go get -d -v github.com/dustin/go-broadcast/... .PHONY: build build: deps go build -o realtime-chat main.go rooms.go template.go ``` Rather than grouping all `.PHONY` declarations at the end or beginning of the Makefile, this pattern makes the relationship between declarations and targets obvious at a glance, reducing the chance of forgetting to update declarations when adding new targets.