diff --git a/.github/BOT_PR_TEMPLATE.md b/.github/BOT_PR_TEMPLATE.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9081532
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/BOT_PR_TEMPLATE.md
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+<!-- Bot PR Template - Auto-populated by automation workflows -->
+
+## 🤖 Automated Dependency Update
+
+### Summary
+<!-- Brief description of what's being updated -->
+
+### Changes
+<!-- List of packages/dependencies being updated -->
+
+### Upstream References
+<!-- Links to changelogs, release notes, or commit ranges -->
+
+### Impact Assessment
+- [ ] Breaking changes: **None** / **Documented below**
+- [ ] Security fixes: **None** / **Documented below**
+- [ ] Requires manual testing: **No** / **Yes - see below**
+
+### Testing
+<!-- Automated test results and any manual testing performed -->
+
+### Tracking
+- Weekly batch: `YYYY-MM-DD`
+- Issue reference: `#<issue-number>` or `n/a` (tracked in weekly log)
+
+---
+*This PR was automatically generated by the Praxis bot update workflow.*
+*For questions or to report issues, please tag @plures/maintainers.*
diff --git a/.github/bot-logs/INDEX.md b/.github/bot-logs/INDEX.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b786c63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/bot-logs/INDEX.md
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+# Bot Activity Logs Index
+
+This directory contains weekly logs of automated bot activities in the Praxis repository.
+Each log captures dependency updates, version bumps, and other automated maintenance tasks.
+
+## Purpose
+- Track bot activities even when no GitHub issue is created
+- Provide audit trail for automated changes
+- Enable review of batch updates over time
+- Reduce PR/commit churn by batching weekly updates
+
+## How It Works
+
+1. **Weekly Schedule**: Automated logs are generated every Monday at 10:00 UTC
+2. **Batch Updates**: Dependabot and other bot updates are grouped and reviewed weekly
+3. **Audit Trail**: Each weekly log includes:
+   - Summary of all bot PRs merged that week
+   - Links to upstream changes and release notes
+   - Impact assessment (breaking changes, security fixes)
+   - Testing status
+
+## Configuration
+
+Bot update behavior is controlled by:
+- `.github/dependabot.yml` - Dependency update grouping and scheduling
+- `.github/workflows/bot-weekly-log.yml` - Weekly activity logging
+- `.github/BOT_PR_TEMPLATE.md` - Standard PR format for bot updates
+
+## Weekly Logs
+
+<!-- Log entries will be added automatically by the bot-weekly-log workflow -->
+*No logs yet. The first log will be generated on the next Monday after this file is committed.*
diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
index 2feb294..55a6904 100644
--- a/.github/dependabot.yml
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -5,22 +5,64 @@ updates:
     directory: "/"
     schedule:
       interval: "weekly"
-    open-pull-requests-limit: 10
+      day: "monday"
+      time: "09:00"  # UTC timezone
+    open-pull-requests-limit: 5
+    groups:
+      npm-production:
+        patterns:
+          - "*"
+        exclude-patterns:
+          - "@types/*"
+          - "@vitest/*"
+          - "typescript"
+          - "tsup"
+          - "vite"
+          - "vitest"
+        update-types:
+          - "minor"
+          - "patch"
+      npm-dev-tools:
+        patterns:
+          - "@types/*"
+          - "@vitest/*"
+          - "typescript"
+          - "tsup"
+          - "vite"
+          - "vitest"
+        update-types:
+          - "minor"
+          - "patch"
     labels:
       - "dependencies"
       - "npm"
+      - "bot-update"
     commit-message:
-      prefix: "chore"
+      prefix: "chore(deps)"
       include: "scope"
+    pull-request-branch-name:
+      separator: "/"
     
   # Enable version updates for GitHub Actions
   - package-ecosystem: "github-actions"
     directory: "/"
     schedule:
       interval: "weekly"
+      day: "monday"
+      time: "09:00"  # UTC timezone
+    groups:
+      github-actions:
+        patterns:
+          - "*"
+        update-types:
+          - "minor"
+          - "patch"
     labels:
       - "dependencies"
       - "github-actions"
+      - "bot-update"
     commit-message:
-      prefix: "chore"
+      prefix: "chore(deps)"
       include: "scope"
+    pull-request-branch-name:
+      separator: "/"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/batch-pin-bumps.yml b/.github/workflows/batch-pin-bumps.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8a88e7c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/batch-pin-bumps.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,173 @@
+name: Batch Pin Bumps (Weekly)
+
+on:
+  schedule:
+    # Run every Monday at 08:00 UTC (before the weekly log)
+    - cron: "0 8 * * 1"
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      force_update:
+        description: 'Force update even if no changes detected'
+        required: false
+        default: 'false'
+
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+  pull-requests: write
+
+jobs:
+  batch-pin-updates:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v6
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+      
+      - name: Setup Node.js
+        uses: actions/setup-node@v6
+        with:
+          node-version: '20.x'
+      
+      - name: Get week label
+        id: week
+        run: |
+          WEEK_LABEL=$(date -u +%Y-W%U)
+          BRANCH_NAME="bot/weekly-pins-$WEEK_LABEL"
+          echo "label=$WEEK_LABEL" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo "branch=$BRANCH_NAME" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+      
+      - name: Check for pin updates
+        id: check
+        run: |
+          # This is a placeholder for custom pin update logic
+          # Projects can customize this step to check their specific pin files
+          # Examples: package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, flake.lock, etc.
+          
+          CHANGES_DETECTED=false
+          SUMMARY=""
+          
+          # Check for pnpm lockfile updates
+          if [ -f "pnpm-lock.yaml" ]; then
+            # Run pnpm update to check for available updates
+            if command -v pnpm &> /dev/null; then
+              pnpm install
+              if git diff --quiet pnpm-lock.yaml; then
+                echo "No pnpm lockfile changes detected"
+              else
+                CHANGES_DETECTED=true
+                SUMMARY="${SUMMARY}\n- Updated pnpm lockfile"
+              fi
+            fi
+          fi
+          
+          # Check for package-lock.json updates
+          if [ -f "package-lock.json" ]; then
+            if command -v npm &> /dev/null; then
+              npm install
+              if git diff --quiet package-lock.json; then
+                echo "No npm lockfile changes detected"
+              else
+                CHANGES_DETECTED=true
+                SUMMARY="${SUMMARY}\n- Updated npm lockfile"
+              fi
+            fi
+          fi
+          
+          echo "changes=$CHANGES_DETECTED" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo "summary<<EOF" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo -e "$SUMMARY" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo "EOF" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+      
+      - name: Create PR if changes detected
+        if: steps.check.outputs.changes == 'true' || github.event.inputs.force_update == 'true'
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+        run: |
+          BRANCH="${{ steps.week.outputs.branch }}"
+          WEEK="${{ steps.week.outputs.label }}"
+          
+          # Configure git
+          git config user.name "github-actions[bot]"
+          git config user.email "github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
+          
+          # Create and switch to new branch
+          git checkout -b "$BRANCH"
+          
+          # Add all changes
+          git add -A
+          
+          # Commit with descriptive message
+          COMMIT_TITLE="chore: weekly pin bumps for $WEEK"
+          COMMIT_BODY="Automated weekly dependency pin updates.
+
+          This PR batches all pin updates for the week to reduce commit churn.
+          Review the lockfile changes for any unexpected updates.
+          
+          Tracking: Weekly log $WEEK"
+          
+          git commit -m "$COMMIT_TITLE" -m "$COMMIT_BODY"
+          
+          # Push branch
+          git push origin "$BRANCH"
+          
+          # Get template content
+          TEMPLATE_FILE=".github/BOT_PR_TEMPLATE.md"
+          
+          # Create PR body
+          PR_BODY="## 🤖 Automated Weekly Pin Updates
+
+          **Week:** $WEEK
+          **Type:** Dependency lockfile updates
+
+          ### Summary
+          This PR batches all dependency pin bumps for the week to reduce commit churn and improve reviewability.
+
+          ### Changes
+          ${{ steps.check.outputs.summary }}
+
+          ### Upstream References
+          - Review the lockfile diff for specific package version changes
+          - Check individual package changelogs for breaking changes
+
+          ### Impact Assessment
+          - [ ] Breaking changes: **Review lockfile diff**
+          - [ ] Security fixes: **Check dependency security advisories**
+          - [ ] Requires manual testing: **Yes - verify builds and tests pass**
+
+          ### Testing
+          \`\`\`bash
+          npm run build
+          npm run test
+          npm run typecheck
+          \`\`\`
+
+          ### Tracking
+          - Weekly batch: $WEEK
+          - Issue reference: n/a (tracked in weekly bot log)
+
+          ---
+          *This PR was automatically generated by the batch-pin-bumps workflow.*
+          *For questions or to report issues, please tag @plures/maintainers.*"
+          
+          # Create PR
+          gh pr create \
+            --title "chore(deps): weekly pin bumps - $WEEK" \
+            --body "$PR_BODY" \
+            --base main \
+            --head "$BRANCH" \
+            --label "dependencies,bot-update,automated-pins"
+      
+      - name: Report status
+        run: |
+          echo "## 🤖 Pin Bump Check Complete" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+          echo "" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+          echo "**Week:** ${{ steps.week.outputs.label }}" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+          echo "**Changes detected:** ${{ steps.check.outputs.changes }}" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+          echo "" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+          if [ "${{ steps.check.outputs.changes }}" == "true" ]; then
+            echo "A PR has been created with the weekly pin updates." >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+          else
+            echo "No pin updates needed this week." >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+          fi
diff --git a/.github/workflows/bot-weekly-log.yml b/.github/workflows/bot-weekly-log.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7b2f104
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/bot-weekly-log.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,158 @@
+name: Weekly Bot Activity Log
+
+on:
+  schedule:
+    # Run every Monday at 10:00 UTC
+    - cron: "0 10 * * 1"
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+  pull-requests: write
+  issues: read
+
+jobs:
+  log-weekly-activity:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v6
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+      
+      - name: Setup Node.js
+        uses: actions/setup-node@v6
+        with:
+          node-version: '20.x'
+      
+      - name: Get date range for last week
+        id: dates
+        run: |
+          END_DATE=$(date -u +%Y-%m-%d)
+          START_DATE=$(date -u -d '7 days ago' +%Y-%m-%d)
+          WEEK_LABEL=$(date -u -d '7 days ago' +%Y-W%U)
+          echo "start=$START_DATE" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo "end=$END_DATE" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo "week=$WEEK_LABEL" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+      
+      - name: Collect bot activity
+        id: activity
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          START_DATE: ${{ steps.dates.outputs.start }}
+          END_DATE: ${{ steps.dates.outputs.end }}
+        run: |
+          # Get bot PRs merged in the last week
+          BOT_PRS=$(gh pr list \
+            --state merged \
+            --label bot-update \
+            --search "merged:>=$START_DATE" \
+            --json number,title,mergedAt,url \
+            --limit 100)
+          
+          # Get dependabot PRs merged in the last week
+          DEPENDABOT_PRS=$(gh pr list \
+            --state merged \
+            --author "dependabot[bot]" \
+            --search "merged:>=$START_DATE" \
+            --json number,title,mergedAt,url \
+            --limit 100)
+          
+          # Count activities
+          BOT_COUNT=$(echo "$BOT_PRS" | jq '. | length')
+          DEPENDABOT_COUNT=$(echo "$DEPENDABOT_PRS" | jq '. | length')
+          
+          echo "bot_count=$BOT_COUNT" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo "dependabot_count=$DEPENDABOT_COUNT" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          
+          # Create weekly summary
+          mkdir -p .github/bot-logs
+          LOG_FILE=".github/bot-logs/${{ steps.dates.outputs.week }}.md"
+          
+          cat > "$LOG_FILE" <<EOF
+          # Bot Activity Log - Week ${{ steps.dates.outputs.week }}
+          
+          **Period:** $START_DATE to $END_DATE
+          
+          ## Summary
+          - Bot-managed PRs merged: $BOT_COUNT
+          - Dependabot PRs merged: $DEPENDABOT_COUNT
+          - Total automated updates: $((BOT_COUNT + DEPENDABOT_COUNT))
+          
+          ## Bot-managed Updates
+          EOF
+          
+          if [ "$BOT_COUNT" -gt 0 ]; then
+            echo "$BOT_PRS" | jq -r '.[] | "- [#\(.number)](\(.url)) \(.title) (merged: \(.mergedAt[:10]))"' >> "$LOG_FILE"
+          else
+            echo "- No bot-managed PRs merged this week" >> "$LOG_FILE"
+          fi
+          
+          cat >> "$LOG_FILE" <<EOF
+          
+          ## Dependabot Updates
+          EOF
+          
+          if [ "$DEPENDABOT_COUNT" -gt 0 ]; then
+            echo "$DEPENDABOT_PRS" | jq -r '.[] | "- [#\(.number)](\(.url)) \(.title) (merged: \(.mergedAt[:10]))"' >> "$LOG_FILE"
+          else
+            echo "- No dependabot PRs merged this week" >> "$LOG_FILE"
+          fi
+          
+          echo "log_file=$LOG_FILE" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+      
+      - name: Update index
+        run: |
+          mkdir -p .github/bot-logs
+          INDEX_FILE=".github/bot-logs/INDEX.md"
+          
+          cat > "$INDEX_FILE" <<EOF
+          # Bot Activity Logs Index
+          
+          This directory contains weekly logs of automated bot activities in the Praxis repository.
+          Each log captures dependency updates, version bumps, and other automated maintenance tasks.
+          
+          ## Purpose
+          - Track bot activities even when no GitHub issue is created
+          - Provide audit trail for automated changes
+          - Enable review of batch updates over time
+          
+          ## Weekly Logs
+          EOF
+          
+          # List all log files in reverse chronological order
+          find .github/bot-logs -name "*.md" -not -name "INDEX.md" | sort -r | while read -r log; do
+            filename=$(basename "$log")
+            week=${filename%.md}
+            echo "- [$week](./$filename)" >> "$INDEX_FILE"
+          done
+      
+      - name: Commit and push logs
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+        run: |
+          git config user.name "github-actions[bot]"
+          git config user.email "github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
+          
+          git add .github/bot-logs/
+          
+          if git diff --staged --quiet; then
+            echo "No changes to commit"
+          else
+            # Note: This commits directly to main for audit logging purposes.
+            # Ensure branch protection rules allow github-actions[bot] to push.
+            git commit -m "chore: update bot activity log for week ${{ steps.dates.outputs.week }}"
+            git push origin HEAD:main
+          fi
+      
+      - name: Create summary
+        run: |
+          echo "## 🤖 Weekly Bot Activity Summary" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+          echo "" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+          echo "**Week:** ${{ steps.dates.outputs.week }}" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+          echo "**Period:** ${{ steps.dates.outputs.start }} to ${{ steps.dates.outputs.end }}" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+          echo "" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+          echo "- Bot-managed PRs: ${{ steps.activity.outputs.bot_count }}" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+          echo "- Dependabot PRs: ${{ steps.activity.outputs.dependabot_count }}" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+          echo "- Total updates: $((${{ steps.activity.outputs.bot_count }} + ${{ steps.activity.outputs.dependabot_count }}))" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0127b5f..090f795 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1156,6 +1156,8 @@ MIT License - see [LICENSE](./LICENSE) for details.
 
 Contributions are welcome! Please read our [Contributing Guide](./CONTRIBUTING.md) to get started.
 
+**Automated Updates**: This repository uses batched bot updates to reduce commit churn. Dependency updates are grouped weekly and include audit trails. See the [Bot Update Policy](./docs/BOT_UPDATE_POLICY.md) for details.
+
 **Dogfooding Plures Tools**: We actively dogfood all Plures tools during development. If you encounter friction while using any tool, please file a [Dogfooding Friction Report](https://github.com/plures/praxis/issues/new/choose). See the [Dogfooding Quick Start](./docs/DOGFOODING_QUICK_START.md) for details.
 
 - 🐛 [Report a bug](https://github.com/plures/praxis/issues/new?template=bug_report.yml)
diff --git a/docs/BOT_UPDATE_POLICY.md b/docs/BOT_UPDATE_POLICY.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dbd9223
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/BOT_UPDATE_POLICY.md
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+# Bot Update Policy
+
+## Overview
+
+This document describes how automated updates (dependency bumps, pin updates, etc.) are managed in the Praxis repository to reduce commit churn and improve reviewability.
+
+## Goals
+
+1. **Batch Updates**: Group related updates together instead of creating many small PRs
+2. **Improve Auditability**: Require summaries and upstream links for all bot PRs
+3. **Maintain Tracking**: Keep audit trail even without dedicated GitHub issues
+4. **Reduce Noise**: Weekly batching instead of continuous small updates
+
+## How It Works
+
+### Dependabot Configuration
+
+Dependabot is configured to:
+- Run weekly on Mondays at 09:00 UTC
+- Group updates by ecosystem (npm production, npm dev, github-actions)
+- Limit to 5 open PRs at a time
+- Use consistent labels: `dependencies`, `bot-update`
+- Follow standardized commit message format: `chore(deps): ...`
+
+See `.github/dependabot.yml` for full configuration.
+
+### Weekly Pin Bumps
+
+The `batch-pin-bumps.yml` workflow:
+- Runs every Monday at 08:00 UTC (before dependabot)
+- Checks for lockfile updates (pnpm-lock.yaml, package-lock.json)
+- Creates a single PR with all pin bumps for the week
+- Uses the standard bot PR template for consistency
+
+### Weekly Activity Log
+
+The `bot-weekly-log.yml` workflow:
+- Runs every Monday at 10:00 UTC (after updates run)
+- Collects all bot PRs merged in the past week
+- Creates a weekly activity log in `.github/bot-logs/`
+- Provides audit trail without requiring GitHub issues
+- Commits log directly to main branch
+
+### PR Template
+
+All bot PRs use `.github/BOT_PR_TEMPLATE.md` which requires:
+- Brief summary of changes
+- List of updated dependencies/files
+- Links to upstream changelogs or release notes
+- Impact assessment (breaking changes, security, testing)
+- Weekly batch identifier for tracking
+
+## For Repository Maintainers
+
+### Reviewing Bot PRs
+
+When reviewing automated PRs:
+
+1. **Check the Summary**: Understand what's being updated
+2. **Review Upstream Links**: Look for breaking changes or security fixes
+3. **Verify CI Passes**: Ensure all tests and checks pass
+4. **Check Impact Assessment**: Pay attention to flagged items
+5. **Merge Weekly Batches**: Approve and merge to reduce backlog
+
+### Customizing Pin Updates
+
+To add custom pin update checks in `batch-pin-bumps.yml`:
+
+1. Edit the "Check for pin updates" step
+2. Add logic to detect your specific pin files
+3. Update the summary to describe what changed
+4. Test with workflow_dispatch before scheduling
+
+### Adjusting Schedule
+
+To change update frequency:
+
+1. Edit cron schedules in workflow files
+2. Update dependabot.yml schedule.interval
+3. Coordinate timing (pin bumps → dependabot → weekly log)
+
+## For Other Repositories
+
+This bot update approach can be adopted by other repositories in the Plures organization:
+
+### Setup Steps
+
+1. Copy `.github/dependabot.yml` and adjust for your ecosystem
+2. Copy `.github/BOT_PR_TEMPLATE.md`
+3. Copy `.github/workflows/bot-weekly-log.yml`
+4. (Optional) Copy `.github/workflows/batch-pin-bumps.yml` and customize
+5. Create `.github/bot-logs/` directory structure
+6. Update your README to reference the new bot policy
+
+### Target Repositories
+
+As mentioned in the original issue, these repos should adopt this approach:
+- ✅ plures/praxis (this repo)
+- ⬜ plures/nix-openclaw (issues disabled; track here)
+- ⬜ plures/praxis-business
+- ⬜ plures/behavior-ledger-github-cicd
+
+## References
+
+- Original Issue: Practice: reduce bot churn (batch pin bumps; prefer PRs; add audit trail)
+- Dependabot Documentation: https://docs.github.com/en/code-security/dependabot
+- GitHub Actions Workflow Syntax: https://docs.github.com/en/actions/using-workflows/workflow-syntax-for-github-actions
+
+## FAQ
+
+### Why weekly instead of daily?
+
+Weekly batching significantly reduces PR volume while still keeping dependencies reasonably up-to-date. Security updates can still be handled immediately through manual intervention.
+
+### What if I need an urgent update?
+
+You can always create a manual PR for urgent updates. The weekly batching is for routine maintenance only.
+
+### Where do I find the weekly logs?
+
+All weekly logs are stored in `.github/bot-logs/` with an index at `.github/bot-logs/INDEX.md`.
+
+### Can I trigger updates manually?
+
+Yes! All workflows support `workflow_dispatch` for manual triggering via the GitHub Actions UI.
diff --git a/docs/TESTING_BOT_WORKFLOWS.md b/docs/TESTING_BOT_WORKFLOWS.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b0f80a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/TESTING_BOT_WORKFLOWS.md
@@ -0,0 +1,154 @@
+# Testing Bot Update Workflows
+
+This guide explains how to test the new batched bot update workflows.
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+- GitHub CLI (`gh`) installed and authenticated
+- Appropriate repository permissions (write access)
+
+## Testing Individual Workflows
+
+### 1. Test Weekly Activity Log
+
+```bash
+# Trigger manually via GitHub Actions UI
+# Go to: Actions → Weekly Bot Activity Log → Run workflow
+
+# Or via GitHub CLI:
+gh workflow run bot-weekly-log.yml
+
+# Check the run:
+gh run list --workflow=bot-weekly-log.yml
+
+# View the output:
+gh run view --log
+```
+
+**Expected Result:**
+- A new markdown file created in `.github/bot-logs/` with format `YYYY-Wxx.md`
+- The INDEX.md file updated with a link to the new log
+- Commit pushed to main branch with message: `chore: update bot activity log for week YYYY-Wxx`
+
+### 2. Test Batch Pin Bumps
+
+```bash
+# Trigger manually via GitHub Actions UI with force_update option
+# Go to: Actions → Batch Pin Bumps (Weekly) → Run workflow → Set force_update to 'true'
+
+# Or via GitHub CLI:
+gh workflow run batch-pin-bumps.yml -f force_update=true
+
+# Check the run:
+gh run list --workflow=batch-pin-bumps.yml
+
+# Check for created PR:
+gh pr list --label bot-update
+```
+
+**Expected Result:**
+- A new branch created: `bot/weekly-pins-YYYY-Wxx`
+- A PR opened with title: `chore(deps): weekly pin bumps - YYYY-Wxx`
+- PR uses the BOT_PR_TEMPLATE.md format
+- PR labeled with: `dependencies`, `bot-update`, `automated-pins`
+
+### 3. Test Dependabot Grouping
+
+Dependabot runs automatically on schedule, but you can verify configuration:
+
+```bash
+# Check dependabot configuration
+cat .github/dependabot.yml
+
+# View existing dependabot PRs
+gh pr list --author "dependabot[bot]"
+
+# Check for grouped PRs (should see fewer, larger PRs)
+gh pr list --author "dependabot[bot]" --label dependencies
+```
+
+**Expected Result:**
+- Dependabot creates grouped PRs like:
+  - "Bump the npm-production group with X updates"
+  - "Bump the npm-dev-tools group with Y updates"
+  - "Bump the github-actions group with Z updates"
+
+## Integration Testing
+
+### Weekly Workflow Sequence
+
+The workflows run in this order:
+1. **08:00 UTC Monday**: `batch-pin-bumps.yml` (creates PR)
+2. **09:00 UTC Monday**: Dependabot runs (creates grouped PRs)
+3. **10:00 UTC Monday**: `bot-weekly-log.yml` (logs previous week's activity)
+
+To test the full sequence:
+
+1. Manually trigger batch-pin-bumps on a Monday
+2. Review and merge the created PR
+3. Let dependabot run naturally or configure it to run more frequently for testing
+4. Manually trigger bot-weekly-log
+5. Check `.github/bot-logs/` for the generated log
+
+## Validation Checklist
+
+After implementing the bot update approach, verify:
+
+- [ ] Dependabot creates grouped PRs (not individual dependency PRs)
+- [ ] Bot PRs use the standard template format
+- [ ] Weekly logs are generated in `.github/bot-logs/`
+- [ ] INDEX.md is updated automatically
+- [ ] All bot PRs have `bot-update` label
+- [ ] Commit messages follow pattern: `chore(deps): ...`
+- [ ] No direct commits to main (all updates via PR)
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### Workflow Fails with Permission Error
+
+Ensure the workflow has appropriate permissions in `.github/workflows/*.yml`:
+```yaml
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+  pull-requests: write
+```
+
+### Bot Logs Not Committing
+
+Check that:
+- Git user is configured in the workflow
+- GITHUB_TOKEN has write access to the repository
+- Branch protection rules allow bot commits
+
+### No PRs Created
+
+Verify:
+- Changes were actually detected (check step output)
+- Branch doesn't already exist
+- PR limit not reached (dependabot config: open-pull-requests-limit)
+
+### Dependabot Not Grouping
+
+Ensure:
+- Using Dependabot v2 configuration format
+- `groups:` section is properly configured
+- Updates match the group patterns
+
+## Manual Rollback
+
+If you need to revert the bot update approach:
+
+1. Restore original `.github/dependabot.yml`
+2. Disable or delete the new workflows:
+   - `.github/workflows/bot-weekly-log.yml`
+   - `.github/workflows/batch-pin-bumps.yml`
+3. Remove `.github/bot-logs/` directory
+4. Remove `.github/BOT_PR_TEMPLATE.md`
+
+## Next Steps
+
+Once testing is complete:
+1. Monitor for one full week to ensure all workflows run correctly
+2. Review the generated logs for completeness
+3. Adjust schedules or grouping as needed
+4. Share the approach with other Plures repositories