Use consistent patterns for specifying dependency versions in configuration files and document reasoning behind version constraints. Guidelines: 1. Use exact versions (`==`) for stability-critical dependencies 2. Use version ranges only when there's a specific compatibility requirement 3. Document the reason for version constraints, especially when using ranges or preventing upgrades 4. Only add dependencies to the root configuration when the constraint applies project-wide **Example:** ```toml # Exact version for stability some-critical-package = "1.2.3" # Version range with documented reason marshmallow = ">=3.15.0,<4.0.0" # Safety tool incompatible with v4.0+ # Development dependency with more flexibility pytest = ">=7.0.0" ``` When adding version constraints that differ from the project norm or prevent upgrades, add a comment explaining why, either in the PR description or inline with the configuration change.