> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.rootly.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Configuring Incident Roles

> Define and manage incident response roles with clear responsibilities, tasks, and hierarchies to ensure effective team coordination during incidents.

When the next incident hits, your team should feel prepared. With Incident Roles, you can quickly and efficiently assign responsibilities to your team and define the hierarchy of command.

A swift response will help reduce the impact. By adding descriptions and tasks ahead of time, you can ensure your team knows exactly what to do.

## Built-in Roles

Rootly comes with four roles that are essential for effective incident response.

### Commander

The individual responsible for the overall management of the incident from start to finish. Delegation of tasks across the response team and final decision-making authority.

### Communications Lead

The individual responsible for managing internal and external communications to stakeholders outside of the response team.

### Executive Sponsor

The individual responsible for complex decision making, often used for high-severity or sensitive incidents.

### Retrospective Owner

The individual responsible for driving the post-incident retrospective process to completion.

## Add an Incident Role

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Go to **Configuration** > **Roles.**
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Select **+ New Role.**
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Add a name, description, and a list of responsibilities for the role.

    <Note>
      **Example**

      Name: Commander

      Description: The person who takes charge of the incident, assigns tasks, and has the deciding vote on proceeding.

      Responsibilities:

      * Declare and classify the severity of the incident in Rootly
      * Assign roles (for example, Communications Lead, Subject Matter Experts)
      * Lead regular status updates in the Slack incident channel
      * Escalate to executives or external teams if needed
      * Make "go/no-go" decisions on customer communications and mitigation steps
    </Note>

    Toggle "make this role optional" if it's not required for every incident.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Switch to the *Advanced settings* tab to adjust the incident permission set and "allow multiple users" to be assigned this role.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Select **Create Role** to continue. Tasks can be added after a role has been created.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Add Tasks to an Incident Role

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Go to **Configuration** > **Roles**.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Find the role you want to add tasks to in the table. Click the pencil icon on the left side to edit.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Switch to the Tasks tab to see existing tasks. Click **+ Add Task**.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Add a name (required) and description. Set the Priority to low, medium, or high.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Click **Add** to save.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Example

  Name (required): Declare and classify the severity of the incident in Rootly

  Description: Review the incident alerts, customer reports, and system status to assign an incident severity.

  Priority: High
</Note>

## Edit an Incident Role

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Go to **Configuration** > **Roles.**
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Find the role you want to edit in the table. Click the pencil icon on the left side to edit.

    There are three tabs:

    **Basics**

    <ParamField path="ID" type="string">
      Auto-generated by Rootly. Use it when referencing the role via API or Liquid.
    </ParamField>

    <ParamField path="Name" type="string" required>
      The role's display name — shown in the responder picker and the role assignment audit trail.
    </ParamField>

    <ParamField path="Description" type="string">
      A short summary of the role. Appears next to the name in role pickers.
    </ParamField>

    <ParamField path="Responsibilities" type="rich text">
      What the role is expected to do during an incident. Rendered on the responder's role card.
    </ParamField>

    <ParamField path="Make this role optional" type="checkbox">
      When enabled, responders can leave this role unassigned on incidents where it isn't needed.
    </ParamField>

    **Tasks**

    Manage existing tasks or add new ones for this role.

    **Advanced**

    <ParamField path="Incident permissions set" type="permission set">
      Which incident actions the role is authorized to take.
    </ParamField>

    <ParamField path="Allow multiple users to be assigned this role" type="toggle">
      When enabled, more than one responder can hold this role on the same incident simultaneously.
    </ParamField>
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Once the desired edits are complete, click **Update** to save.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Delete an Incident Role

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Go to **Configuration** > **Roles.**
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Find the role you want to edit in the table. Click the trashcan icon on the left side to delete.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Deleting an incident role will also remove its associated data. This can't be undone. Select **Delete** to delete the role and all associated data, or click **Discard changes** to keep the role.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Get Help

For help, use the slash command **/rootly help** in Slack or email [support@rootly.com](mailto:support@rootly.com).

***

## Related Pages

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Incident Roles" icon="user-tag" href="/incidents/incident-roles/incident-roles">
    How the roles configured here get used during incident response.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Teams" icon="users" href="/configuration/teams">
    Roles are typically assigned to team members — Teams is the underlying identity primitive.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Configuration Overview" icon="gear" href="/configuration/configuration">
    The umbrella page covering incident properties and configuration surface.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>