diff --git a/.github/actions/check-version-release/action.yml b/.github/actions/check-version-release/action.yml
index 8cbc757..640e0c0 100644
--- a/.github/actions/check-version-release/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/check-version-release/action.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-name: check-pyproject-version
-description: Check that the pyproject.toml version is the same as the latest GitHub release
+name: check-package-attribute-version
+description: Check that the package version attribute defined version is the same as the latest GitHub release.
 
 runs:
   using: composite
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ runs:
   - shell: bash
     run: |
       pip install packaging==24.0
-      PYPROJECT_VERSION=$(python -c "from src import cpr_sdk; print(cpr_sdk.__version__)")
-      echo "PYPROJECT_VERSION=${PYPROJECT_VERSION}"
+      PACKAGE_ATTRIBUTE_VERSION=$(python -c "from src import cpr_sdk; print(cpr_sdk.__version__)")
+      echo "PACKAGE_ATTRIBUTE_VERSION=${PACKAGE_ATTRIBUTE_VERSION}"
 
       GITHUB_RELEASE_VERSION=$(curl --silent "https://api.github.com/repos/climatepolicyradar/cpr-sdk/releases/latest" | jq -r '.tag_name')
       # remove the "v" from the version
@@ -24,13 +24,13 @@ runs:
       echo "GITHUB_RELEASE_VERSION=${GITHUB_RELEASE_VERSION}"
       
       # Check that semver tag is equal to the github release version
-      PYPROJECT_EQUALS_GITHUB_RELEASE=$(python -c "from packaging.version import Version; print(Version('${PYPROJECT_VERSION}') == Version('${GITHUB_RELEASE_VERSION}'))")
-      echo "PYPROJECT_EQUALS_GITHUB_RELEASE=${PYPROJECT_EQUALS_GITHUB_RELEASE}"
+      PACKAGE_ATTRIBUTE_EQUALS_GITHUB_RELEASE=$(python -c "from packaging.version import Version; print(Version('${PACKAGE_ATTRIBUTE_VERSION}') == Version('${GITHUB_RELEASE_VERSION}'))")
+      echo "PACKAGE_ATTRIBUTE_EQUALS_GITHUB_RELEASE=${PACKAGE_ATTRIBUTE_EQUALS_GITHUB_RELEASE}"
 
-      if [[ "$PYPROJECT_EQUALS_GITHUB_RELEASE" == True ]]; then
-        echo "The pyproject.toml version is equal to the latest GitHub release."
+      if [[ "$PACKAGE_ATTRIBUTE_EQUALS_GITHUB_RELEASE" == True ]]; then
+        echo "The cpr_sdk.__version__ version is equal to the latest GitHub release."
       else
-        echo "The pyproject.toml version is NOT equal to the the latest GitHub release."
+        echo "The cpr_sdk.__version__ version is NOT equal to the the latest GitHub release."
         exit 1
       fi
   
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.github/actions/check-version/action.yml b/.github/actions/check-version/action.yml
index e8f2036..6a8435d 100644
--- a/.github/actions/check-version/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/check-version/action.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-name: check-pyproject-version
-description: Check that the pyproject.toml version is greater than the latest GitHub release
+name: check-package-attribute-version
+description: Check that the package attribute version is greater than the latest GitHub release
 
 runs:
   using: composite
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ runs:
   - shell: bash
     run: |
       pip install packaging==24.0
-      PYPROJECT_VERSION=$(python -c "from src import cpr_sdk; print(cpr_sdk.__version__)")
-      echo "PYPROJECT_VERSION=${PYPROJECT_VERSION}"
+      PACKAGE_ATTRIBUTE_VERSION=$(python -c "from src import cpr_sdk; print(cpr_sdk.__version__)")
+      echo "PACKAGE_ATTRIBUTE_VERSION=${PACKAGE_ATTRIBUTE_VERSION}"
 
       GITHUB_RELEASE_VERSION=$(curl --silent "https://api.github.com/repos/climatepolicyradar/cpr-sdk/releases/latest" | jq -r '.tag_name')
       # remove the "v" from the version
@@ -24,12 +24,12 @@ runs:
       echo "GITHUB_RELEASE_VERSION=${GITHUB_RELEASE_VERSION}"
       
       # Check that semver tag is greater than the github release version
-      PYPROJECT_GREATER_THAN_GITHUB_RELEASE=$(python -c "from packaging.version import Version; print(Version('${PYPROJECT_VERSION}') > Version('${GITHUB_RELEASE_VERSION}'))")
-      echo "PYPROJECT_GREATER_THAN_GITHUB_RELEASE=${PYPROJECT_GREATER_THAN_GITHUB_RELEASE}"
+      PACKAGE_ATTRIBUTE_GREATER_THAN_GITHUB_RELEASE=$(python -c "from packaging.version import Version; print(Version('${PACKAGE_ATTRIBUTE_VERSION}') > Version('${GITHUB_RELEASE_VERSION}'))")
+      echo "PACKAGE_ATTRIBUTE_GREATER_THAN_GITHUB_RELEASE=${PACKAGE_ATTRIBUTE_GREATER_THAN_GITHUB_RELEASE}"
 
-      if [[ "$PYPROJECT_GREATER_THAN_GITHUB_RELEASE" == True ]]; then
-        echo "The pyproject.toml version is greater than the latest GitHub release."
+      if [[ "$PACKAGE_ATTRIBUTE_GREATER_THAN_GITHUB_RELEASE" == True ]]; then
+        echo "The cpr_sdk.__init__ version is greater than the latest GitHub release."
       else
-        echo "The pyproject.toml version is not greater than the latest GitHub release."
+        echo "The cpr_sdk.__init__ version is not greater than the latest GitHub release."
         exit 1
       fi
diff --git a/.github/actions/placeholder/action.yml b/.github/actions/placeholder/action.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..25d7d35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/actions/placeholder/action.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+name: check-placeholder-version
+description: Check that the placeholder version in the pyproject.toml is 0.0.0
+
+runs:
+  using: composite
+  steps:
+  - name: Checkout Repository
+    uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+  - name: Setup Python
+    uses: actions/setup-python@v4
+    with:
+      python-version: "3.10"    
+
+  - shell: bash
+    run: | 
+      echo "PYPROJECT_VERSION=$(poetry version --short)"
+
+      if [[ "$PYPROJECT_VERSION" == "0.0.0" ]]; then
+        echo "The pyproject.toml version is the correct placeholder version."
+      else
+        echo "The pyproject.toml version is NOT the correct placeholder version"
+        exit 1
+      fi
+  
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index 5104e53..639a887 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -33,9 +33,18 @@ jobs:
     - name: Check the package version
       uses: ./.github/actions/check-version
 
+  placeholder-version-checks:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+    - name: Check out repository code
+      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+    - name: Check the placeholder version
+      uses: ./.github/actions/placeholder
+
   test:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    needs: [precommit-checks, fixme-checks, package-version-checks]
+    needs: [precommit-checks, fixme-checks, package-version-checks, placeholder-version-checks]
     steps: 
     - name: Check out repository code
       uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -58,7 +67,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
           python-version: "3.10"
-          cache: "poetry"
+          cache: poetry
 
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish.yml b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
index f41f5f9..e8fbb92 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
@@ -32,9 +32,18 @@ jobs:
     - name: Run package version checks
       uses: ./.github/actions/check-version-release
 
+  placeholder-version-checks:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+    - name: Check out repository code
+      uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+    - name: Check the placeholder version
+      uses: ./.github/actions/placeholder
+
   test:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    needs: [precommit-checks, fixme-checks, package-version-checks]
+    needs: [precommit-checks, fixme-checks, package-version-checks, placeholder-version-checks]
     steps: 
     - name: Check out repository code
       uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -57,7 +66,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
           python-version: "3.10"
-          cache: "poetry"
+          cache: poetry
 
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: |