> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.kiloiot.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.kiloiot.io/kilo-iot-server/alarm.md).

# Alarm

When a cold-storage sensor reports a temperature exceedance at 3 AM, the right person needs to know — immediately, reliably, and through the right channel. The Alarm section in Kilo IoT Server transforms real-time sensor data into structured operational alerts with multi-step escalation, configurable severity policies, and delivery across email, SMS, and push.

> **Trigger logic vs response logic:** The [Rules Engine](/kilo-iot-server/rules-engine.md) determines *when* an alarm is raised — it evaluates sensor data against conditions and fires the alarm when those conditions are met. Alarm Definitions control *what happens after* the alarm fires: severity classification, repeat cadence, recipient selection, delivery channels, weekly schedules, suppression windows, and escalation chains for unresolved events.

## Page structure

The Alarm page has three tabs:

| Tab                   | Purpose                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| --------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Inbox**             | Lists every alarm event that has been triggered. Filter by severity or status, search by title, resolve events, or navigate to the originating rule for investigation.                                                                                |
| **Alarm definitions** | Create and manage alarm configurations. Each definition specifies severity, escalation steps, notification timing, schedule, suppression, and the alert message. Click **Add alarm rule** to create a new definition.                                 |
| **Settings**          | Manage notification delivery contacts — email and SMS — with per-channel enable/disable toggles. Push notification setup is available when enabled for the account, delivered through the [IoT Alerts App](/kilo-iot-server/alarm/iot-alerts-app.md). |

A **Notification Severity** button in the page header (visible on all tabs) opens a modal for configuring how frequently each severity level re-sends notifications.

<figure><img src="/files/tkiOCVYlGRoztKwiIcc1" alt="The Alarm page on the Inbox tab, with the Alarm definitions and Settings tabs, severity and status filters, and a triggered alarm"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## Severity model

Kilo uses five severity levels to classify alarms by operational priority:

| Level        | Operational context                                                                                                         |
| ------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Critical** | Production-stopping conditions requiring immediate intervention — equipment failure, safety thresholds, compliance breaches |
| **High**     | Urgent deviations needing prompt response — cold-chain drift, pressure anomalies, environmental exceedances                 |
| **Medium**   | Non-urgent but operationally significant — scheduled maintenance triggers, capacity thresholds approaching limits           |
| **Low**      | Routine operational awareness — minor fluctuations within tolerance, informational device state changes                     |
| **Info**     | Background reporting — periodic health checks, system status confirmations, operational summaries                           |

Each level carries its own notification repeat policy, configurable in [Notification Severity](/kilo-iot-server/alarm/notification-delivery-settings.md).

## Escalation

Unresolved alarms can escalate through multiple steps — notifying additional recipients through additional channels after configurable delays. An on-call engineer who does not respond within the configured window triggers notification to the shift supervisor, who in turn escalates to the site manager if the alarm remains unresolved.

For full details on configuring escalation chains, see [Escalation and Response](/kilo-iot-server/alarm/escalation-and-response.md).

## What to read next

| Page                                                                              | When to read it                                                                        |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [Your First Alert](/kilo-iot-server/alarm/first-operational-alert.md)             | Create one alarm definition end-to-end, see it fire, and resolve it.                   |
| [Alarm Definitions](/kilo-iot-server/alarm/notification-rules.md)                 | Full reference for creating, editing, and managing alarm definitions.                  |
| [Escalation and Response](/kilo-iot-server/alarm/escalation-and-response.md)      | Configure multi-step escalation chains for unresolved alarms.                          |
| [Notification Severity](/kilo-iot-server/alarm/notification-delivery-settings.md) | Control repeat intervals and one-time notification behavior per severity level.        |
| [Inbox and Resolution](/kilo-iot-server/alarm/inbox-and-resolution.md)            | Triage incoming alarms — filter, search, resolve, and trace back to originating rules. |
| [Delivery Channels](/kilo-iot-server/alarm/notification-channels.md)              | Set up and manage email, SMS, and push notification delivery.                          |
| [IoT Alerts App](/kilo-iot-server/alarm/iot-alerts-app.md)                        | Put alarms on responders' phones — and learn which severities wake the phone.          |


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