diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..907511d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+# Template repository only: keeps the pinned versions of the GitHub actions up to date (as pull requests).
+version: 2
+updates:
+  - package-ecosystem: github-actions
+    directory: /
+    schedule:
+      interval: monthly
diff --git a/.github/scripts/check_template_versions.py b/.github/scripts/check_template_versions.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b18d607
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/scripts/check_template_versions.py
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+"""Warn when the versions written in the template have drifted from PyMoDAQ's.
+
+Run weekly by .github/workflows/check-versions.yml (only in the template repository, not in plugins).
+Single source of truth: the ``pymodaq>=X.Y.Z`` floor of pyproject.toml. Everything else is compared to it and to what
+PyPI says about the latest pymodaq. Standard library only. Exit code 1 if something needs a human.
+
+When a new PyMoDAQ minor (say 5.4.0) is released
+------------------------------------------------
+1. Create the ``5.4.x`` branch from ``5.3.x`` and make it the default branch of the template repository.
+2. On it, raise the floors in pyproject.toml (``pymodaq>=5.4.0``...), the "PyMoDAQ 5.3.x" wording in README.rst and
+   AGENTS.md, the Python classifiers/requires-python and the matrix of reusable-compatibility.yml if they changed.
+3. Point the three caller workflows (``@5.3.x`` in tests.yml, compatibility.yml, python-publish.yml) to ``@5.4.x``.
+4. Run this script: it must print OK. Keep ``5.3.x`` for hotfixes.
+"""
+import json
+import re
+import sys
+import tomllib
+import urllib.request
+from pathlib import Path
+
+ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2]
+PYPI = 'https://pypi.org/pypi/{}/json'
+
+
+def pypi_info(name: str) -> dict:
+    with urllib.request.urlopen(PYPI.format(name), timeout=30) as response:
+        return json.load(response)
+
+
+def minor(version: str) -> tuple:
+    return tuple(int(p) for p in version.split('.')[:2])
+
+
+def is_release(version: str) -> bool:
+    return re.fullmatch(r'\d+\.\d+\.\d+', version) is not None
+
+
+def python_minors(classifiers: list) -> list:
+    found = [re.fullmatch(r'Programming Language :: Python :: 3\.(\d+)', c) for c in classifiers]
+    return sorted(int(m.group(1)) for m in found if m)
+
+
+def main() -> int:
+    problems = []
+    project = tomllib.loads((ROOT / 'pyproject.toml').read_text())['project']
+
+    floors = {}
+    for dep in project['dependencies']:
+        match = re.match(r'(pymodaq(?:_utils|_gui|_data)?)>=(\d+\.\d+\.\d+)', dep)
+        if match:
+            floors[match.group(1)] = match.group(2)
+    if 'pymodaq' not in floors:
+        problems.append('pyproject.toml has no "pymodaq>=X.Y.Z" dependency: nothing to compare to')
+        return report(problems)
+    branch_minor = minor(floors['pymodaq'])
+    branch = '{}.{}'.format(*branch_minor)
+
+    # 1. the floors of the PyMoDAQ packages exist and belong to the branch's minor
+    for name, floor in floors.items():
+        releases = [v for v in pypi_info(name)['releases'] if is_release(v)]
+        if floor not in releases:
+            problems.append(f'{name}>={floor} was never released on PyPI')
+        elif name == 'pymodaq' and minor(floor) != branch_minor:
+            problems.append(f'{name} floor {floor} is not in {branch}')
+        elif minor(floor) > branch_minor:
+            problems.append(f'{name}>={floor} is newer than the branch ({branch}.x)')
+
+    # 2. a new PyMoDAQ minor means a new template branch
+    latest = pypi_info('pymodaq')
+    versions = sorted((v for v in latest['releases'] if is_release(v)), key=lambda v: tuple(map(int, v.split('.'))))
+    newest = versions[-1]
+    if minor(newest) > branch_minor:
+        problems.append(f'PyMoDAQ {newest} is out but this template targets {branch}.x: create the {"{}.{}".format(*minor(newest))}.x '
+                        f'branch (checklist in the docstring of .github/scripts/check_template_versions.py)')
+
+    # 3. supported Python versions: ours vs the latest pymodaq of the branch's minor
+    same_minor = [v for v in versions if minor(v) == branch_minor][-1]
+    with urllib.request.urlopen(f'https://pypi.org/pypi/pymodaq/{same_minor}/json', timeout=30) as response:
+        data = json.load(response)['info']
+    theirs = python_minors(data['classifiers'])
+    ours = python_minors(project['classifiers'])
+    if theirs and ours != theirs:
+        problems.append(f'Python classifiers of pyproject.toml are 3.{ours[0]}-3.{ours[-1]}, pymodaq {same_minor} says '
+                        f'3.{theirs[0]}-3.{theirs[-1]}')
+    requires = data.get('requires_python') or ''
+    if requires and requires != project.get('requires-python'):
+        problems.append(f'requires-python is {project.get("requires-python")!r}, pymodaq {same_minor} has {requires!r}')
+
+    # 4. the compatibility matrix covers both Python extremes
+    matrix = (ROOT / '.github/workflows/reusable-compatibility.yml').read_text()
+    used = sorted({int(m) for m in re.findall(r"python-version: '3\.(\d+)'", matrix)})
+    if ours and used and (used[0], used[-1]) != (ours[0], ours[-1]):
+        problems.append(f'compatibility matrix spans Python 3.{used[0]}-3.{used[-1]}, supported is 3.{ours[0]}-3.{ours[-1]}')
+
+    # 5. prose that names the branch
+    for name in ('README.rst', 'AGENTS.md'):
+        for number, line in enumerate((ROOT / name).read_text().splitlines(), 1):
+            for found in re.findall(r'PyMoDAQ\s+(\d+\.\d+)\.x', line):
+                if found != branch:
+                    problems.append(f'{name}:{number} says PyMoDAQ {found}.x, the branch is {branch}.x')
+    return report(problems, branch)
+
+
+def report(problems: list, branch: str = '?') -> int:
+    if not problems:
+        print(f'OK: template versions are consistent with PyMoDAQ {branch}.x')
+        return 0
+    for problem in problems:
+        print(f'::warning::{problem}')
+    return 1
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    sys.exit(main())
diff --git a/.github/workflows/check-versions.yml b/.github/workflows/check-versions.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..981bc65
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/check-versions.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+# Template repository only: warns (failed run, e-mail to the watchers) when the versions written in the template drift
+# from PyMoDAQ's, for instance after a new PyMoDAQ minor release. Plugins copied from the template skip it.
+name: Check template versions
+
+on:
+  schedule:
+    - cron: '0 6 * * 1'
+  workflow_dispatch:
+  pull_request:
+    paths:
+      - pyproject.toml
+      - README.rst
+      - AGENTS.md
+      - .github/workflows/**
+      - .github/scripts/**
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+jobs:
+  check:
+    if: github.repository == 'PyMoDAQ/pymodaq_plugins_template'
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 5
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v6.0.3
+      - uses: actions/setup-python@v6.2.0
+        with:
+          python-version: '3.12'
+      - run: python .github/scripts/check_template_versions.py