Problem Roles API

Use these endpoints to list your organization’s problem roles and assign them to users on a problem.

Beta — Problem Management is enabled per organization. If it isn’t enabled for yours, every endpoint on this page returns 404. Contact your account team to request access.

Call these endpoints with an API key. OAuth 2.0 access tokens are denied whatever their scope, including ir.all and all.

Overview

A problem role, such as Problem Manager, describes a responsibility on a problem. Roles are defined once for your organization and assigned to users problem by problem:

Operation	Endpoint
List problem roles	`GET /v1/problem_roles`
Read one problem role	`GET /v1/problem_roles/{id}`
List a problem’s role assignments	`GET /v1/problems/{problem_id}/role_assignments`
Assign a role	`POST /v1/problems/{problem_id}/role_assignments`
Remove a role assignment	`DELETE /v1/problems/{problem_id}/role_assignments/{id}`

Requests and responses use JSON:API with Content-Type: application/vnd.api+json. Roles use the problem_roles resource type and assignments use problem_role_assignments. The API reads roles but doesn’t create or edit them. Your role’s Problems permissions control access: read to list roles and assignments, and update to assign roles and remove assignments. A user who already holds a role on a problem can also manage role assignments on that problem.

Listing Problem Roles

GET /v1/problem_roles is paginated with page[number] and page[size], and sorted by position by default.

Filter	Matches
`filter[name]`	Role name
`filter[slug]`	Role slug
`filter[enabled]`	`true` for roles that can be assigned, `false` for disabled ones

Each filter accepts one value or a comma-separated list, and also supports [eq], [not_eq], [in], and [not_in]. sort accepts name, slug, position, enabled, created_at, and updated_at. Prefix with - for descending order.

{
  "data": [
    {
      "id": "PROBLEM_ROLE_ID",
      "type": "problem_roles",
      "attributes": {
        "name": "Problem Manager",
        "slug": "problem-manager",
        "summary": "Owns the problem through to resolution",
        "description": null,
        "position": 1,
        "enabled": true,
        "created_at": "2026-10-20T14:02:11.000-07:00",
        "updated_at": "2026-10-20T14:02:11.000-07:00"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Assigning a Role

POST /v1/problems/{problem_id}/role_assignments assigns a role to a user on a problem. Both attributes are required.

curl --request POST \
--header 'Content-Type: application/vnd.api+json' \
--header 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR-API-KEY' \
--url https://api.rootly.com/v1/problems/PROBLEM_ID/role_assignments \
--data '{
  "data": {
    "type": "problem_role_assignments",
    "attributes": {
      "problem_role_id": "PROBLEM_ROLE_ID",
      "user_id": 1234
    }
  }
}'

string

required

The role to assign. It must be an enabled role in your organization.

integer

required

The user to assign. They must be a member of your organization.

The response is 201 with the new assignment. The assigned user is notified and starts following the problem. A user can hold several roles on the same problem, but assigning the same role to the same user twice returns 422. The response includes the problem_role and the user it refers to. Either is null when the caller doesn’t have permission to read it. When a problem is created, its creator is assigned the Problem Manager role automatically if that role is enabled.

Listing and Removing Assignments

GET /v1/problems/{problem_id}/role_assignments lists a problem’s assignments, oldest first, paginated with page[number] and page[size]. DELETE /v1/problems/{problem_id}/role_assignments/{id} removes one assignment and returns it with 200. An assignment ID from another problem returns 404.

Errors

Status	When
`401`	The API key is missing or invalid
`404`	The role, problem, or assignment doesn’t exist, the caller can’t access it, or Problem Management isn’t enabled. A caller who can’t update the problem gets `404` when assigning or removing a role.
`422`	The role is disabled or from another organization, the user isn’t a member, or the user already holds that role on the problem

​Overview

​Listing Problem Roles

​Assigning a Role

​Listing and Removing Assignments

​Errors

Overview

Listing Problem Roles

Assigning a Role

Listing and Removing Assignments

Errors