Notification channels
Email, SMS, and voice — how each channel works, what desktop alerts do, and how acknowledging one stops escalation.
Updated August 20, 2026
Notification channels
When an alarm fires, FreshControls reaches people over three channels: email, SMS, and voice. You choose which channels a given alarm uses through its escalation policy.
The three channels
- Email — a full alarm record with the device, site, reading, and threshold. Good for a paper trail and for people who live in their inbox. Available on every plan.
- SMS — a text message for people who are not at a screen. Useful for on-call staff moving around a site. Available on every plan; each plan includes a monthly allowance and additional messages are billed per message at the rate shown on the pricing page.
- Voice — an automated phone call for the alarms you cannot afford to have missed. This is the channel most operators reserve for overnight and high-severity events. Voice calls are included from the Professional plan up, with an included monthly allowance and a per-call rate beyond it.
Desktop alerts in the dashboard
Separately from the three channels above, the web dashboard can raise a desktop notification for a new critical alarm while the dashboard is open in a background tab. Grant the browser permission from Settings → Notifications. It is a convenience for people watching the fleet during a shift — not a substitute for a channel, because it only works while the dashboard is open.
About mobile push
A FreshControls mobile app with push notifications is coming — it is not available yet, and we have not announced a date. Until it ships, treat email, SMS, and voice as the channels that reach someone away from their desk.
Acknowledgement stops the clock
Every channel lets the recipient acknowledge the alarm. Acknowledging tells the system a human has it, which stops escalation from climbing to the next person. Because acknowledgement is shared across channels, it does not matter whether someone replies to the email or answers the call — the alarm is handled once.
Choosing channels per severity
A common setup:
- Low severity — email only, so routine warnings do not wake anyone.
- High severity — email and SMS, escalating to a voice call and a second person if the first does not acknowledge quickly.
Match the noise of the channel to the cost of the event, and your team keeps trusting the alarms instead of muting them.
Related
Still need a hand?
If this didn't answer your question, our team is happy to help you get set up and running.
Contact support