Lines and Line Members
A Line is one step inside a Chain. A Line Member is one possible responder source inside that step.
Open Escalation Lines to manage Lines. Open any Line to manage its Line Members.
What a Line does
If a Chain defines the full escalation path, a Line defines one stage in that path.
For example:
- Line 1 could contact the primary responder
- Line 2 could contact the backup
- Line 3 could contact a wider fallback group
That is why line order matters. It tells 1stLine where the Line sits in the path.
Line configuration
On Create Escalation Line and Escalation Line Details, the main fields are:
- Name
- Escalation Chain
- Description
- Line Order
- Timeout
Escalation Chain
The Line editor includes Escalation Chain as an optional field. In practice, most production Lines belong to a Chain, because that is how the path becomes usable by Routing Rules.
Line order
Line order decides where the Line sits in the Chain.
Line order starts at 1.
Keep the order easy to read. A simple sequence such as 1, 2, 3 is usually enough.
Timeout
Timeout controls how long 1stLine should wait on that Line before moving on.
Short timeouts are useful during testing. Real response paths usually need values that reflect how quickly a human is expected to react.
What Line Members do
Line Members define who can respond when the alert reaches that Line.
The Line Members section is where you decide whether the Line should point to:
- one named user
- a team
- a time-based schedule
That lets the same Chain mix direct ownership with broader fallback.
Member types
The Member Type selector supports:
- User
- Team
- Schedule
Use them like this:
User
Use User when one specific person should be considered for that Line.
This is the simplest setup for first tests and for small teams with clear ownership.
Team
Use Team when the responder source should come from a team instead of a single user.
This is useful when responsibility belongs to a group and you do not want the Line tied to one named person.
Schedule
Use Schedule when the responder should change by time.
This is the right choice for on-call rotations, handoffs between shifts, or temporary override windows.
Line Member timing and communication
Each Line Member can include:
- Communication Rule
- Member Order
- Delay
- Repeat Interval
Member Order
Member Order controls the order between members inside the same Line.
Use it when the Line has more than one possible responder source and you need a clear local priority.
Member Order also starts at 1.
Delay
Delay lets you wait before that member becomes active in the Line.
Use it when you want a small pause before the next member is considered.
Repeat interval
Repeat interval lets you repeat the member’s communication cycle.
When a repeat interval is set, the editor requires a Communication Rule. That is because 1stLine needs explicit communication behavior for the repeat cycle.
Communication Rule
Use Communication Rule when this Line Member should follow a specific communication path.
That is where you connect escalation structure to call, SMS, or other configured communication behavior. See Communication for the full communication model.
Practical design advice
For most teams, these patterns work well:
- use separate Lines for meaningfully different stages
- use User for a simple first rollout
- move to Schedule when ownership changes by time
- use Team when the path should stay attached to a group instead of one person
- keep member timing simple until the path works end to end
If you are not sure whether to add another Chain or another Line, compare the full escalation path first. Usually:
- a new Chain means a different path
- a new Line means another step in the same path
See Multiple Chains vs Multiple Lines for a concrete example.