diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index da74782bfec4a95096fdcc5c141cbec5b38c8baf..cf9cce016aa71b400f13ca8362c7dbd139c6455a 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -1,37 +1,44 @@
+# variables in the GitLab CI/CD variables:
+  #   GITLAB_TOKEN to support the semantic-release
+  #   DOCKER_AUTH_CONFIG to support the usage of private docker images as job docker image
+  #   TMPL_RELEASE_ENABLED to enable the semantic-release job
+  #   TBC_NAMESPACE: smartdatalab/public/ci-cd-components
+
 include:
-  - component: git.code.tecnalia.com/smartdatalab/public/ci-cd-components/gitlab-ci/extract@master
+  - component: $CI_SERVER_FQDN/$TBC_NAMESPACE/gitlab-ci/extract@master
     inputs:
       extract-script-job-tags: ["docker"]
-  - component: git.code.tecnalia.com/smartdatalab/public/ci-cd-components/gitlab-ci/validation@master
+  - component: $CI_SERVER_FQDN/$TBC_NAMESPACE/gitlab-ci/validation@master
     inputs:
       check-links-job-tags: ["docker"]
       tbc-check-job-tags: ["docker"]
       tbc-check-image: cicd-docker-dev.artifact.tecnalia.com/tbc-check:master
       gitlab-ci-lint-job-tags: ["docker"]
-  - component: git.code.tecnalia.com/smartdatalab/public/ci-cd-components/kicker/validation@master
+  - component: $CI_SERVER_FQDN/$TBC_NAMESPACE/kicker/validation@master
     inputs:
       kicker-validation-job-tags: ["docker"]
       schema-base-url: "https://git.code.tecnalia.com/api/v4/projects/smartdatalab%2Fpublic%2Fci-cd-components%2Fkicker/repository/files"
-  - component: git.code.tecnalia.com/smartdatalab/public/ci-cd-components/bash/gitlab-ci-bash@master
+      yajsv-image: "cicd-docker-dev.artifact.tecnalia.com/yajsv:latest"
+  - component: $CI_SERVER_FQDN/$TBC_NAMESPACE/bash/gitlab-ci-bash@master
     inputs:
       bash-shellcheck-job-tags: ["docker"]
-  - component: git.code.tecnalia.com/smartdatalab/public/ci-cd-components/semantic-release/gitlab-ci-semrel@master
+      shellcheck-files: "*.sh"
+  - component: $CI_SERVER_FQDN/$TBC_NAMESPACE/semantic-release/gitlab-ci-semrel@master
     inputs:
       semantic-release-job-tags: ["docker"]
-  - component: git.code.tecnalia.com/smartdatalab/public/ci-cd-components/gitleaks/gitlab-ci-gitleaks@master
+  - component: $CI_SERVER_FQDN/$TBC_NAMESPACE/gitleaks/gitlab-ci-gitleaks@master
     inputs:
       gitleaks-job-tags: ["docker"]
 
+variables:
+  GITLAB_CI_FILES: "templates/gitlab-ci-maven.yml"
+  GIT_STRATEGY: clone
+
 stages:
   - build
   - test
   - publish
 
-variables:
-  GITLAB_CI_FILES: "templates/gitlab-ci-maven.yml"
-  BASH_SHELLCHECK_FILES: "*.sh"
-  GIT_STRATEGY: clone
-
 semantic-release:
   rules:
     # on production branch(es): auto if SEMREL_AUTO_RELEASE_ENABLED
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4c9e376a3d21986ad7e42d515f097286705dbe6f..d3c5f3e6cc99ac5fdd9fc921a5f7e39cbac4587e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -4,17 +4,17 @@ This project implements a GitLab CI/CD template to build, test and analyse your
 
 ## Usage
 
-This template can be used both as a [CI/CD component](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/components/#use-a-component-in-a-cicd-configuration) 
+This template can be used both as a [CI/CD component](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/components/#use-a-component) 
 or using the legacy [`include:project`](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/yaml/index.html#includeproject) syntax.
 
 ### Use as a CI/CD component
 
-Add the following to your `gitlab-ci.yml`:
+Add the following to your `.gitlab-ci.yml`:
 
 ```yaml
 include:
   # 1: include the component
-  - component: gitlab.com/to-be-continuous/maven/gitlab-ci-maven@3.11.1
+  - component: $CI_SERVER_FQDN/to-be-continuous/maven/gitlab-ci-maven@3.11.1
     # 2: set/override component inputs
     inputs:
       # ⚠ this is only an example
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ include:
 
 ### Use as a CI/CD template (legacy)
 
-Add the following to your `gitlab-ci.yml`:
+Add the following to your `.gitlab-ci.yml`:
 
 ```yaml
 include:
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ Your Maven repository may require authentication credentials to publish artifact
 
 You may handle them in the following ways:
 
-1. define all required credentials as :lock: [project variables](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/variables/#add-a-cicd-variable-to-a-project),
+1. define all required credentials as :lock: [project variables](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/variables/#for-a-project),
 2. make sure your `pom.xml` (or ancestor) [declares your `<repository>` and `<snapshotRepository>` with server **id**s in a `<distributionManagement>` section](https://maven.apache.org/pom.html#repository),
 3. in your `${MAVEN_CFG_DIR}/settings.xml` file, [define the repository servers credentials in the `<servers>` section](https://maven.apache.org/settings.html#Servers) using the `${env.VARIABLE}` pattern—will be automatically evaluated and replaced by Maven.
 
@@ -536,7 +536,7 @@ All authentication methods should use masked GitLab environment variables.
 ```yaml
 include:
   # main template
-  - component: gitlab.com/to-be-continuous/maven/gitlab-ci-maven@3.11.1
+  - component: $CI_SERVER_FQDN/to-be-continuous/maven/gitlab-ci-maven@3.11.1
   # Jib is implemented as an extension to Maven, and uses supporting features of the TBC Maven template
-  - component: gitlab.com/to-be-continuous/maven/gitlab-ci-maven-jib@3.11.1
+  - component: $CI_SERVER_FQDN/to-be-continuous/maven/gitlab-ci-maven-jib@3.11.1
 ```