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

# Contact Methods

> Register and verify a phone number so scaling.cloud can page you by SMS and automated voice call, not just email.

A **contact method** is a phone number you register so scaling.cloud can page you on it during an incident — by **SMS**, by an **automated voice call**, or both. It sits alongside email as a paging channel: email is always sent, and a verified phone number adds faster, harder-to-miss channels on top.

<Frame caption="Manage your phone numbers under Settings → Contact methods">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/scalingcloud/5-FlXcH6ySIwHzG0/images/placeholder.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=5-FlXcH6ySIwHzG0&q=85&s=18ab9c45531fe92b117df1f9652cb357" alt="Contact methods settings" width="1200" height="675" data-path="images/placeholder.svg" />
</Frame>

## How contact methods work

* **Separate from your login.** A contact method is the phone you want *paged* on. It is independent of any phone tied to your sign-in or two-factor — registering one here doesn't change how you log in.
* **Scoped to one organization.** A contact method belongs to you within a single org. If you respond for more than one organization, you register and verify your number separately in each — your paging preferences never leak across orgs.
* **Verified once, before it can page.** A number is never paged until you've proven you control it (see [Verification](#verification)). Until then it sits unverified and is skipped entirely.
* **Channels you turn on.** A verified number carries two independent toggles — **SMS** and **voice** — so you decide how it pages you.

## Verification

When you add a number, scaling.cloud sends a one-time code to confirm you control the line. The delivery channel depends on the line type, which scaling.cloud detects automatically:

| Line type                | Code delivered by                                  | Channels you can enable |
| ------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------- |
| Mobile                   | **SMS**                                            | SMS and/or voice        |
| Landline / SMS-incapable | **Automated voice call** that reads the code aloud | Voice only              |

Enter the code to finish. A landline verifies by voice call because an SMS to it would silently fail — and SMS cannot be enabled on a voice-only number.

<Note>
  The verification code is short-lived and rate-limited. If you request too many codes in a short window, wait a few minutes before trying again.
</Note>

## Paging channels

Once a number is verified, toggle the channels you want:

* **SMS** — a text with the incident title, severity, a link that opens the incident, and a short code you can **reply** to acknowledge without opening the app. See [Acknowledgment & handoff](/concepts/acknowledgment-and-handoff).
* **Voice** — an automated call that speaks the incident. **Answering the call acknowledges it** — no keypress. If the call goes to voicemail it counts only as delivery, and escalation continues. See [Paging & notifications](/concepts/paging-and-notifications).

<Warning>
  Email is a floor you can't switch off. SMS and voice are **additive** opt-ins on top of it — there's deliberately no way to disable every channel and go silently dark. Turning a phone channel off just removes that channel; you'll still be paged by email.
</Warning>

## Managing your numbers

Everything lives under **Settings → Contact methods**:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Add a number">
    Enter the number in E.164 format (e.g. `+15551234567`). scaling.cloud detects the line type and sends a code on the right channel.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify">
    Enter the code you received. The number flips to verified, with the default channel for its line type enabled.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose channels">
    Toggle **SMS** and **voice** to match how you want to be paged.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Remove when stale">
    Delete a number you no longer use — a deleted contact method is never paged again.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Register your number **before** you're on call. A verified phone with SMS and voice enabled means a page reaches you even when you're away from email — exactly when escalation matters most.
</Tip>