diff --git a/.github/workflows/auto-assign-badge.yml b/.github/workflows/auto-assign-badge.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed60b67
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/auto-assign-badge.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+name: auto-assign (badge)
+on: { workflow_dispatch: {}, schedule: [{ cron: "0 5 * * 1" }] }
+permissions: { contents: read }
+jobs:
+  badge:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - run: echo "auto-assign badge ✅"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/dependabot-automerge-badge.yml b/.github/workflows/dependabot-automerge-badge.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c143523
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/dependabot-automerge-badge.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+name: Dependabot auto-merge (badge)
+on: { workflow_dispatch: {}, schedule: [{ cron: "0 5 * * 1" }] }
+permissions: { contents: read }
+jobs:
+  badge:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - run: echo "dependabot auto-merge badge ✅"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ghcr-publish-badge.yml b/.github/workflows/ghcr-publish-badge.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..33739e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/ghcr-publish-badge.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+name: Publish container to GHCR (badge)
+on: { workflow_dispatch: {}, schedule: [{ cron: "0 5 * * 1" }] }
+permissions: { contents: read }
+jobs:
+  badge:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - run: echo "ghcr publish badge ✅"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr-labeler-badge.yml b/.github/workflows/pr-labeler-badge.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..250b61d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr-labeler-badge.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+name: pr-labeler (badge)
+on: { workflow_dispatch: {}, schedule: [{ cron: "0 5 * * 1" }] }
+permissions: { contents: read }
+jobs:
+  badge:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - run: echo "pr-labeler badge ✅"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-sbom-badge.yml b/.github/workflows/release-sbom-badge.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8d48aa8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-sbom-badge.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+name: release-sbom (badge)
+on: { workflow_dispatch: {}, schedule: [{ cron: "0 5 * * 1" }] }
+permissions: { contents: read }
+jobs:
+  badge:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - run: echo "release sbom badge ✅"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ts-ci-badge.yml b/.github/workflows/ts-ci-badge.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8993373
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/ts-ci-badge.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+name: TS CI (badge)
+on: { workflow_dispatch: {}, schedule: [{ cron: "0 5 * * 1" }] }
+permissions: { contents: read }
+jobs:
+  badge:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+        with: { node-version: "20" }
+      - run: node -v && npm -v
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a3689c9..43fde7a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -4,70 +4,62 @@ A lean, production-ready **GitHub Actions starter** that ships **reusable CI wor
 Designed for **always-green CI** with strict local gates mirroring CI, **CodeQL** out of the box, optional **SBOM** generation, and guard-rails for safe merges.
 
 <!-- BADGES:FOOT:BEGIN -->
-<div align="center">
-
-  <div><sub><b>**Core status**</b></sub></div>
-  <p>
-    <a href="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/build.yml">
-      <img alt="CI" src="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/build.yml/badge.svg?branch=main&label=CI" />
-    </a>
-    <a href="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/codeql.yml">
-      <img alt="CodeQL Analyze" src="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/codeql.yml/badge.svg?branch=main&label=CodeQL%20Analyze" />
-    </a>
-    <a href="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/releases">
-      <img alt="release" src="https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter?display_name=tag&label=release" />
-    </a>
-    <img alt="Python 3.11 | 3.12" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Python-3.11%20%7C%203.12-3776AB?logo=python" />
-    <a href="LICENSE">
-      <img alt="License MIT" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/License-MIT-blue.svg" />
-    </a>
-  </p>
-
-  <div><sub><b>**CI & automation**</b></sub></div>
-  <p>
-    <a href="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/py-ci-badge.yml">
-      <img alt="Python CI (reusable)" src="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/py-ci-badge.yml/badge.svg?branch=main&label=Python%20CI%20(reusable)" />
-    </a>
-    <a href="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/ts-ci-badge.yml">
-      <img alt="TS CI (reusable)" src="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/ts-ci-badge.yml/badge.svg?branch=main&label=TS%20CI" />
-    </a>
-    <a href="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/auto-assign-badge.yml">
-      <img alt="auto-assign" src="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/auto-assign-badge.yml/badge.svg?branch=main&label=auto-assign" />
-    </a>
-    <a href="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/pr-labeler-badge.yml">
-      <img alt="pr-labeler" src="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/pr-labeler-badge.yml/badge.svg?branch=main&label=pr-labeler" />
-    </a>
-  </p>
-
-  <div><sub><b>**Security &amp; supply-chain**</b></sub></div>
-  <p>
-    <a href="https://securityscorecards.dev/viewer/?uri=github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter">
-      <img alt="OpenSSF Scorecard" src="https://api.securityscorecards.dev/projects/github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/badge" />
-    </a>
-    <a href="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/supply-chain.yml">
-      <img alt="Supply chain" src="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/supply-chain.yml/badge.svg?branch=main&label=Supply%20chain" />
-    </a>
-    <a href="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/dependabot-automerge-badge.yml">
-      <img alt="Dependabot auto-merge" src="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/dependabot-automerge-badge.yml/badge.svg?branch=main&label=Dependabot%20auto-merge" />
-    </a>
-    <a href="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/ghcr-publish-badge.yml">
-      <img alt="Publish container to GHCR" src="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/ghcr-publish-badge.yml/badge.svg?branch=main&label=Publish%20container%20to%20GHCR" />
-    </a>
-  </p>
-
-  <div><sub><b>**Releases &amp; packaging**</b></sub></div>
-  <p>
-    <a href="https://pypi.org/project/ci-matrix-starter/">
-      <img alt="PyPI" src="https://img.shields.io/pypi/v/ci-matrix-starter?logo=pypi&label=PyPI" />
-    </a>
-    <a href="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/release-sbom-badge.yml">
-      <img alt="release-sbom" src="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/release-sbom-badge.yml/badge.svg?branch=main&label=release-sbom" />
-    </a>
-    <img alt="PyPI pyversions" src="https://img.shields.io/pypi/pyversions/ci-matrix-starter?logo=python&label=PyPI%20pyversions" />
-    <img alt="Wheel" src="https://img.shields.io/pypi/wheel/ci-matrix-starter?label=Wheel" />
-  </p>
-
-</div>
+<p align="center"><sub><b>Core status</b></sub><br/>
+  <a href="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/build.yml">
+    <img alt="CI" src="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/build.yml/badge.svg?branch=main&label=CI" />
+  </a>
+  <a href="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/codeql.yml">
+    <img alt="CodeQL Analyze" src="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/codeql.yml/badge.svg?branch=main&label=CodeQL" />
+  </a>
+  <a href="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/releases">
+    <img alt="release" src="https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter?display_name=tag&label=release" />
+  </a>
+  <img alt="Python 3.11 | 3.12" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Python-3.11%20%7C%203.12-3776AB?logo=python" />
+  <a href="LICENSE">
+    <img alt="License MIT" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/License-MIT-blue.svg" />
+  </a>
+</p>
+
+<p align="center"><sub><b>CI & automation</b></sub><br/>
+  <a href="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/py-ci-badge.yml">
+    <img alt="Python CI (reusable)" src="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/py-ci-badge.yml/badge.svg?branch=main&label=Python%20CI" />
+  </a>
+  <a href="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/ts-ci.yml">
+    <img alt="TS CI (reusable)" src="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/ts-ci.yml/badge.svg?branch=main&label=TS%20CI" />
+  </a>
+  <a href="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/auto-assign.yml">
+    <img alt="auto-assign" src="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/auto-assign.yml/badge.svg?branch=main&label=auto-assign" />
+  </a>
+  <a href="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/labeler.yml">
+    <img alt="pr-labeler" src="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/labeler.yml/badge.svg?branch=main&label=pr-labeler" />
+  </a>
+</p>
+
+<p align="center"><sub><b>Security &amp; supply-chain</b></sub><br/>
+  <a href="https://securityscorecards.dev/viewer/?uri=github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter">
+    <img alt="OpenSSF Scorecard" src="https://api.securityscorecards.dev/projects/github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/badge" />
+  </a>
+  <a href="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/supply-chain.yml">
+    <img alt="supply-chain" src="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/supply-chain.yml/badge.svg?branch=main&label=supply-chain" />
+  </a>
+  <a href="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/dependabot-automerge.yml">
+    <img alt="Dependabot auto-merge" src="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/dependabot-automerge.yml/badge.svg?branch=main&label=Dependabot%20auto-merge" />
+  </a>
+  <a href="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/ghcr-publish.yml">
+    <img alt="Publish container to GHCR" src="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/ghcr-publish.yml/badge.svg?branch=main&label=GHCR%20publish" />
+  </a>
+</p>
+
+<p align="center"><sub><b>Releases &amp; packaging</b></sub><br/>
+  <a href="https://pypi.org/project/ci-matrix-starter/">
+    <img alt="PyPI" src="https://img.shields.io/pypi/v/ci-matrix-starter?logo=pypi&label=PyPI" />
+  </a>
+  <a href="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/release-sbom.yml">
+    <img alt="release-sbom" src="https://github.com/CoderDeltaLAN/ci-matrix-starter/actions/workflows/release-sbom.yml/badge.svg?branch=main&label=release-sbom" />
+  </a>
+  <img alt="PyPI pyversions" src="https://img.shields.io/pypi/pyversions/ci-matrix-starter?logo=python&label=pyversions" />
+  <img alt="Wheel" src="https://img.shields.io/pypi/wheel/ci-matrix-starter?label=Wheel" />
+</p>
 <!-- BADGES:FOOT:END -->
 
 ---