diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index aae0473ef0a51ca2e8327c982ce320a527b273c8..7abafd5a016ab5e348dfa8a434f69abb4c2a7f59 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 include:
   - component: "${CI_SERVER_HOST}/${CI_PROJECT_PATH}/semantic-release@${CI_COMMIT_SHA}"
     inputs:
-      stage: test
-      image: node:lts
+      stage: deploy
 
 semantic-release:
-  extends: .semantic-release
\ No newline at end of file
+  extends: .semantic-release
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0fd24dbbc400274e5d9da79f34efeaba6918f4dd..f5090a81aa19f467f4b385cea01f8f05776bde45 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@
 
 ## Overview
 
-The `semantic-release` component automates the entire packge release workflow, including determining the next version number, generating release notes, and publishing the package. It strictly follows the [Semantic Versioning] specification and communicates the impact of changes to consumers.
+The `semantic-release` component automates the entire package release workflow, including determining the next version number, generating release notes, and publishing the package.
 
-[Semantic Versioning]: https://semver.org
+It strictly follows the [Semantic Versioning] specification and communicates the impact of changes to consumers.
 
 ## Getting Started
 
@@ -20,11 +20,6 @@ semantic-release:
   extends: .semantic-release
 ```
 
-## Purpose
-
-> [semantic-release][semantic-release] automates the entire package release workflow, including determining the next version number, generating the release notes, and publishing the package.
-
-
 ## Usage
 
 ### Configuration
@@ -35,30 +30,22 @@ to deploy; `semantic-release` has many open-source [plugins][plugins] that imple
 
 `npm install --package-lock-only` will need to be ran locally to generate the `package-lock.json` file for the installed tools.
 
-### Recipes
+### Cache
 
-#### NPM
+The cache is setup to invalidate when the `package-lock.json` changes.
 
-When using the `@semantic-release/npm` plugin, publishing to GitLab Package Registry can be configured with the NPM
-configuration:
+## Authentication
 
-```yaml
-semantic-release:
-  extends: .semantic-release
-  variables:
-    NPM_TOKEN: "${CI_JOB_TOKEN}"
-  before_script:
-    - npm config set -- "@${CI_PROJECT_ROOT_NAMESPACE}:registry"
-      "${CI_API_V4_URL}/projects/${CI_PROJECT_ID}/packages/npm/"
-    - npm config set -- "${CI_API_V4_URL#https?}/packages/npm/:_authToken" '\${NPM_JOB_TOKEN}'
-```
+By default, the component sets up the NPM configuration to use the `NPM_TOKEN` environment variable. This defaults to `${CI_JOB_TOKEN}`.
 
+The `NPM_TOKEN` can be customised in cases where the `CI_JOB_TOKEN` does not have the correct permissions.
+
+[Semantic Versioning]: https://semver.org
 [semantic-release]: https://github.com/semantic-release/semantic-release
 [plugins]: https://github.com/semantic-release
-[configuration]:
-  https://github.com/semantic-release/semantic-release/blob/master/docs/usage/configuration.md#configuration
+[configuration]: https://github.com/semantic-release/semantic-release/blob/master/docs/usage/configuration.md#configuration
 [conventional-commits]: https://www.conventionalcommits.org/
 [semantic-versioning]: http://semver.org/
 [oci]: oci.md
 [releaserc]: ../.releaserc.yaml
-[image]: https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/yaml/#image
\ No newline at end of file
+[image]: https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/yaml/#image
diff --git a/templates/semantic-release.yml b/templates/semantic-release.yml
index 90d8dcbacbbd87ff8acb89e817288d0fd7d4f8a6..53f93bb417d8bf686aced230984e624cdcec7d6a 100644
--- a/templates/semantic-release.yml
+++ b/templates/semantic-release.yml
@@ -2,29 +2,44 @@ spec:
   inputs:
     stage:
       default: .post
-    image: 
+      description: "The stage that the `.sematic-release` template will run under."
+    image:
+      default: "node"
+      description: "Open container image to use for execution of the `.semantic-release` template."
+    tag:
+      default: "lts"
+      description: "Open container image tag to use for execution of the `.semantic-release` template."
 ---
-
 .semantic-release-fragment:
   authentication:
     - npm config set -- "@${CI_PROJECT_ROOT_NAMESPACE}:registry"
       "${CI_API_V4_URL}/projects/${CI_PROJECT_ID}/packages/npm/"
     - npm config set -- "${CI_API_V4_URL#https?}/packages/npm/:_authToken" '\${NPM_JOB_TOKEN}'
-
+  config:
+    - npm config --location project set cache "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}/.cache/npm"
+  install:
+    - npm ci --prefer-offline
+  run:
+    - npx semantic-release
 
 .semantic-release:
   stage: $[[inputs.stage]]
-  image: $[[inputs.image]]
-  cache:
-    key: node
-    paths:
-      - node_modules
-      - .cache/npm
+  image: "$[[inputs.image]]:$[[inputs.tag]]"
   variables:
-    GIT_STRATEGY: clone
+    NPM_TOKEN: "${CI_JOB_TOKEN}"
+  cache:
+    - key:
+        prefix: "package-lock.json+node_modules"
+        files:
+          - "package-lock.json"
+      paths:
+        - node_modules
+    - key: "${CI_PROJECT_ID}-cache-npm"
+      paths:
+        - .cache/npm
   before_script:
-    - npm config --location project set cache "${CI_PROJECT_DIR}/.cache/npm"
-    - npm ci --prefer-offline
     - !reference [.semantic-release-fragment, authentication]
+    - !reference [.semantic-release-fragment, config]
+    - !reference [.semantic-release-fragment, install]
   script:
-    - npx semantic-release
\ No newline at end of file
+    - !reference [.semantic-release-fragment, run]