Always use the latest stable versions of GitHub Actions components in CI/CD workflows to avoid deprecated features, security vulnerabilities, and compatibility issues. This includes:

1. Use the latest version of common actions: ```yaml

   Use this

   • uses: actions/checkout@v4

   Instead of these older versions

   • uses: actions/checkout@v3
   • uses: actions/checkout@v2 ```
2. Reference the canonical branch name in external actions: ```yaml

   Use this

   • uses: actionshub/chef-install@main

   Instead of

   • uses: actionshub/chef-install@master ```
3. Keep runner images updated to currently supported versions:

   # Use these
   runs-on: macos-11  # or newer
   runs-on: windows-2022  # instead of windows-2016
      
   # Replace deprecated runners like
   # runs-on: macos-10.15
   # runs-on: windows-2016
   

Regular updates reduce security risks, ensure compatibility with GitHub’s evolving infrastructure, and prevent build failures when older components are deprecated or removed. Create a recurring task to audit and update actions versions across your workflows.