diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index b30cc10..d132ee7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -14,10 +14,10 @@ jobs:
         python-version: ["3.9", "3.12", "3.13"]
 
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
 
       - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v6
         with:
           python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish.yml b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
index 2766c74..3f865bb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
@@ -11,9 +11,9 @@ jobs:
   build:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
 
-      - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+      - uses: actions/setup-python@v6
         with:
           python-version: "3.12"
 
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ jobs:
         run: python -m build
 
       - name: Upload artifacts
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
         with:
           name: dist
           path: dist/
@@ -32,9 +32,9 @@ jobs:
   test:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
 
-      - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+      - uses: actions/setup-python@v6
         with:
           python-version: "3.12"
 
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     environment: pypi
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+      - uses: actions/download-artifact@v8
         with:
           name: dist
           path: dist/
diff --git a/data_hygiene_auditor/core.py b/data_hygiene_auditor/core.py
index d408121..7d1e67f 100644
--- a/data_hygiene_auditor/core.py
+++ b/data_hygiene_auditor/core.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 """Core audit orchestrator and data loading."""
 
+from __future__ import annotations
+
 import os
 from datetime import datetime
 from pathlib import Path
diff --git a/data_hygiene_auditor/rules.py b/data_hygiene_auditor/rules.py
index b2665af..d066bb4 100644
--- a/data_hygiene_auditor/rules.py
+++ b/data_hygiene_auditor/rules.py
@@ -188,8 +188,7 @@ def evaluate_rule(rule: Rule, series: pd.Series, col_name: str) -> Optional[Dict
         return None
 
     if rule.condition == 'regex_match':
-        pattern = re.compile(rule.threshold)
-        violations = non_empty[~non_empty.str.fullmatch(pattern, na=False)]
+        violations = non_empty[~non_empty.str.fullmatch(rule.threshold, na=False)]
         if len(violations) == 0:
             return None
         examples = violations.head(5).tolist()
@@ -212,8 +211,7 @@ def evaluate_rule(rule: Rule, series: pd.Series, col_name: str) -> Optional[Dict
         }
 
     if rule.condition == 'not_regex_match':
-        pattern = re.compile(rule.threshold)
-        violations = non_empty[non_empty.str.fullmatch(pattern, na=False)]
+        violations = non_empty[non_empty.str.fullmatch(rule.threshold, na=False)]
         if len(violations) == 0:
             return None
         examples = violations.head(5).tolist()