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

# Escalations

> Bring a person in when a trace needs human judgment.

## What Is an Escalation?

Most traces are handled by your agents without anyone needing to step in. An escalation is what happens when a trace needs a person: Velatir notifies the right people through your connected channels and records their response.

This is the human oversight that regulations expect, applied only where it matters so your team is not flooded with noise.

## When a Trace Is Escalated

An Enforcer escalates a trace when it has a concern that warrants approval rather than a hard block, typically a high-criticality finding. The trace is held for a person to review. You decide which findings are high criticality through your [Data Protector categories](/agents/data-protector) and your [instructions](/agents/instructions).

## Connect a Channel

Escalations are sent to the channels you connect under **Settings → Channels**.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Slack">
    Add Velatir to the Slack channel where your reviewers work, and escalations arrive there.

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/velatir/n3gJoK__v8uzlj7d/images/custom-slack-channel-add-velatir-1.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=n3gJoK__v8uzlj7d&q=85&s=207e908b0e7cc85b4d9ab7cf13186d79" alt="Adding Velatir to a Slack channel" width="901" height="321" data-path="images/custom-slack-channel-add-velatir-1.png" />
    </Frame>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Microsoft Teams">
    Connect a Teams channel so escalations reach your reviewers where they already collaborate.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Phone">
    Add a phone number for the highest-priority escalations that should not wait.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Escalation Status

Every escalation tracks where it stands, so nothing is missed.

| Status           | Meaning                                                |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Sent**         | The escalation was delivered to your channels.         |
| **Acknowledged** | Someone has seen it and is handling it.                |
| **Resolved**     | A decision has been made and the escalation is closed. |

Every escalation, who responded, and the decision they made are recorded in the audit trail.

***

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Trace lifecycle" icon="refresh-cw" href="/traces/trace-lifecycle">
    Where escalation fits in a trace's journey.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Data Protector" icon="shield-check" href="/agents/data-protector">
    Set which findings are high criticality.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>