# Contacts and Verification

> Add the people Edesy OnCall calls - name, phone, email and English or Hindi alert language - verify each phone with a 4-digit code read out on a call, and place test alert calls.

Source: https://edesy.in/docs/oncall/alerts/contacts-and-verification

Contacts are the people your [escalation policies](https://edesy.in/docs/oncall/alerts/escalation-policies) call and email. The number of contacts you can add depends on your plan: 2 on Free, 5 on Starter, 25 on Pro.

## Contact fields

| Field | Used for |
|---|---|
| Name | The incident timeline and emails ("Thank you, Asha") |
| Phone | Alert calls. Must be verified |
| Email | Alert emails with an acknowledge link, "back up" emails, and the fallback when a call fails |
| Language | **English** or **Hindi**: the language of this person's alert calls |

A contact can have a phone, an email or both.

## Verify a phone

OnCall only calls verified phone numbers for alerts, so a typo never sends your alerts to a stranger.

1. Press **Verify** next to the contact.
2. OnCall calls the number and reads out a **4-digit code**, twice, in the contact's language.
3. Type the code in the portal.

| Rule | Value |
|---|---|
| Code valid for | 10 minutes |
| Wrong attempts | 5, then request a new verification call |
| Unverified phone | Skipped for alert calls; the timeline shows "phone number not verified" |

Changing a contact's phone number clears the verification, so verify the new number. Verification calls are billed per minute from your wallet like any other call.

## Test calls

Press **Test** to place a real alert call to a contact for "Test monitor: this is a test alert, no action needed", with the press 1 menu. Do it once for everyone after setup so they recognise the caller ID and know what to press.

## Prepare your team's phones

- Save the OnCall caller ID as a contact, for example "Edesy alert".
- Allow that contact through Do Not Disturb, Focus or Bedtime mode.
- Don't block or silence unknown numbers if the alert number isn't saved.
- Keep at least two people in every policy.

## FAQ

**Why didn't my contact get called?**
The most common reasons: the phone isn't verified, the contact isn't in the policy step, the wallet is empty, or the caller ID number left the workspace. The incident timeline shows the reason for each skipped or failed call.

**Can one person get calls in Hindi and another in English?**
Yes. The language is set per contact.

**What if the call fails?**
OnCall emails that contact instead, if they have an email address, and continues the escalation.