diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
index 0056901de..1418c274f 100644
--- a/.github/dependabot.yml
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -3,4 +3,6 @@ updates:
 - package-ecosystem: "github-actions"
   directory: "/"
   schedule:
-    interval: "weekly"
\ No newline at end of file
+    interval: "weekly"
+  commit-message:
+    prefix: "chore(gha):"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.releaserc b/.releaserc
index 91a9fe6d0..3835ba925 100644
--- a/.releaserc
+++ b/.releaserc
@@ -2,7 +2,16 @@
   "branches": ["master"],  
   "plugins": [
     "@semantic-release/commit-analyzer",
+    {
+      "preset": "conventionalcommits",
+      "releaseRules": [
+        { "type": "", "release": "patch" }
+      ]
+    },
     "@semantic-release/release-notes-generator",
+    {
+      "preset": "conventionalcommits"
+    },
     ["@semantic-release/exec", {
       "prepareCmd": "ant -Dapp.version=${nextRelease.version}"
     }],
@@ -13,9 +22,9 @@
     ["@semantic-release/github", {
       "assets": [
         {
-          "path": "build/pocom-*.xar", 
-          "name": "pocom-${nextRelease.version}.xar",
-          "label": "Expath package (pocom-${nextRelease.version}.xar)"
+          "path": "build/pocom.xar", 
+          "name": "pocom.xar",
+          "label": "Expath package (pocom.xar)"
         }
       ]
     }]
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0ca1935d4..b70726c91 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ Source data for [Principal Officers & Chiefs of Mission](http://history.stat
 
 Releases for this data package are automated. Any commit to the `master` branch will trigger the release automation.
 
-All commit message must conform to [Angular Commit Message Conventions](https://github.com/angular/angular.js/blob/master/DEVELOPERS.md#-git-commit-guidelines) to determine semantic versioning of releases, please adhere to these conventions, like so:
+All commit message must conform to [Conventional Commit Messages](https://www.conventionalcommits.org/en/v1.0.0/) to determine semantic versioning of releases, please adhere to these conventions, like so:
 
 | Commit message  | Release type |
 |-----------------|--------------|
diff --git a/commitlint.config.cjs b/commitlint.config.cjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a3155c136
--- /dev/null
+++ b/commitlint.config.cjs
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+module.exports = { 
+    extends: ['@commitlint/config-conventional'], 
+    rules: {
+        'body-max-line-length': [1, 'always', 200],  
+        'type-empty': [1, 'never'],
+        'subject-empty': [1, 'never']
+      } 
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/commitlint.config.js b/commitlint.config.js
deleted file mode 100644
index bb9a3e88a..000000000
--- a/commitlint.config.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-module.exports = {extends: ['@commitlint/config-angular']}