Escalation Paths
Configure multi-tier alert escalation for critical incidents
Escalation paths ensure critical alerts don't go unnoticed. If an alert isn't acknowledged within a specified time, it automatically escalates to the next tier—notifying managers, on-call teams, or external services.
How Escalation Works
Alert Created
Immediate
→
Tier 1: Team
0-15 min
→
Tier 2: Manager
15-30 min
→
Tier 3: On-Call
30+ min
1
Create Escalation Path
Go to Integrations → Escalation and click New Escalation Path.
New Escalation Path
2
Define Escalation Tiers
Add notification targets for each tier with escalation timeframes.
Tier 1
Immediate
#ops-alerts
ops-team@acme.com
Tier 2
After 15 minutes
Sarah Johnson (Manager)
#engineering-leads
Tier 3
After 30 minutes
PagerDuty On-Call
SMS Alert
3
Save and Activate
Save the escalation path and optionally run a test to verify the configuration.
Escalation Best Practices
- Keep Tier 1 response times short (0-15 min) for immediate awareness
- Include multiple channels per tier for redundancy (Slack + Email)
- Reserve phone/SMS for final escalation tier to avoid alert fatigue
- Test escalation paths quarterly to ensure contacts are current
- Document escalation expectations in your team's runbook