Skip to main content

Create and Track Action Items

Action items capture work that needs to happen during or after an incident — things like deploying a permanent fix, updating documentation, adding monitoring coverage, or following up with an affected customer.

Tracking them inside the incident ensures nothing falls through the cracks.

Create an Action Item​

  1. Open the Incident Details page.
  2. Navigate to the Action Items tab.
  3. Click Create Action Item.
  4. Fill in the details:
    • Description — A clear, specific description of what needs to be done (e.g., "Add connection pool monitoring alert for db-primary-01").
    • Assignee — The person responsible for completing the task.
    • Due date — When it needs to be done.
  5. Click the check mark to save.

Track Progress​

  • Action items appear in a list on the Action Items tab with their current status.
  • Use the pencil icon to update an action item's status, reassign it, or adjust the due date.
  • Completed action items remain visible in the list for historical reference.

When to Create Action Items​

During the incident:

  • A workaround is in place but a permanent fix is needed.
  • You discover a monitoring gap that should be closed.
  • A manual step needs to happen outside of AI SRE (e.g., vendor notification, customer communication).

After resolution:

  • Post-incident review identifies process improvements.
  • Runbook steps need to be added or updated based on what you learned.
  • Infrastructure changes are needed to prevent recurrence.

Best Practices​

  • Be specific — "Fix the database" is too vague. "Increase connection pool max from 50 to 200 on db-primary-01 and add a CloudWatch alarm at 80% utilization" is actionable.
  • Always assign an owner — Unassigned action items don't get done. Every item needs a name next to it.
  • Set realistic due dates — Urgent follow-ups (like deploying a permanent fix for a workaround) should have short deadlines. Process improvements can have longer timelines, but should still have a date.
  • Review before closing the incident — Before marking an incident resolved, scan the action items tab. Make sure everything that came up during the incident has been captured.