Escalation paths

Escalation paths allow your team to define a set of levels, so that if a team member is stuck when resolving a thread, they have a predefined path to escalate it to the next relevant person or team.

This ensures standardised handoffs and gives every thread a clear path to resolution.

Configuration

Setting up escalation paths requires two steps:

1. Define the escalation path (name + levels) in Settings

2. Create a workflow in the Workflow Builder to assign threads to that path

Step 1 — Adding an escalation path

Each user and team can only be included once when defining the levels of an escalation path.

1. Go to Settings → Workflow → Escalation Paths

2. Click "New Escalation Path"

3. Set a name, for example "Urgent Technical Support"

4. Add your escalation levels — each level should be a user or team that will take over when escalated to

Step 2 — Assigning threads to an escalation path via Workflow Builder

When a workflow sets a thread to use an escalation path, it does not immediately escalate the thread — no user or team assignments are made at that point. It only designates which path should apply.

1. Go to Settings → Workflow and click "New workflow"

2. Give it a name, for example "Set Urgent Escalation Path"

3. Choose a trigger — for example, Thread created (automatic) or run it manually

4. Add a Condition step — for example, "Thread has the Security label"

5. On the matching branch, add an Action step and select Set escalation path

6. Choose the escalation path you created in Step 1

7. Click "Publish" to activate the workflow

Usage

Escalating a thread

1. When you're stuck on a thread and need to hand it up

2. Click the Escalate button at the bottom of the thread, beneath the composer

3. Hovering over it shows which user or team will be assigned when you escalate

Changing or clearing the escalation path

To manually change which escalation path a thread uses, or to remove it entirely:

1. Press CMD + K to open the Command Palette

2. Search for "Change Escalation Path" or "Clear Escalation Path"

How it works

• When escalating, the currently assigned user is always unassigned

• The currently assigned team label is removed only if it is part of the escalation level being escalated from

• The current escalation level is evaluated at the moment of escalation — manual user/team assignments can affect which level is considered "current"

Example

At Plain, we use the following escalation path for product questions. It's assigned via a workflow that triggers on threads from support@plain.com:

1. Technical Support (team)

2. Engineering (team)

3. Staff Engineer (user)

4. Founders (team)

The workflow that sets this path uses a single condition step — "Support email equals support@plain.com" — followed by a "Set escalation path" action. Simple and reliable.