Set up voice call alerts
A voice call is the hardest alert to sleep through: HostTracker places an automated call to the number and reads out what happened. It’s a good fit for the top tier of an escalation ladder, reserved for outages that have already gone unresolved through faster channels.
Settings reference
Section titled “Settings reference”| Setting (UI label) | API field (v2) | Type / allowed values | Default | Plan limits | What it does for you |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contact Type | type |
"voiceCall" |
- | - | |
| Phone number | address |
Phone number in full international format | - (required) | - | Where the call is placed |
| Language | language |
2-letter code | From profile | - | Has no effect on the spoken script - see below |
Voice scripts are English only regardless of the contact’s or profile’s language setting - there’s no translated voice script today. Voice cannot receive scheduled reports (email-only).
Set it up in the app
Section titled “Set it up in the app”- Open Alerts & Contacts and click + Add contact.
- Choose Voice call.
- Enter the phone number in full international format, and give the contact a name.
- Save, then confirm the contact using the code sent by call or text. See confirmed vs unconfirmed contacts.
What the message looks like
Section titled “What the message looks like”An automated voice reads a short script identifying HostTracker, the monitor’s name, and what happened (down, recovered, or still down) - the spoken equivalent of the SMS text, always in English.
Do it with the API or MCP
Section titled “Do it with the API or MCP”POST /contact{ "type": "voiceCall", "address": "+15551234567", "name": "Manager phone" }MCP: create_contact(type="voiceCall", address="+15551234567", name="Manager phone").
What happens next
Section titled “What happens next”HostTracker places (or texts) a confirmation code immediately. Once confirmed and subscribed, a call is placed for every event that reaches this contact after its own alert delay and active hours.
Limits and gotchas
Section titled “Limits and gotchas”- Voice calls draw from the same SMS credit balance as SMS, billed using the same segment/text-length math applied to the spoken script’s text - not a flat per-call price. See how SMS & voice billing works.
- Voice scripts are English only - there’s no per-language voice script, unlike every other channel.
- Because a call is disruptive, it’s usually best placed behind an alert delay rather than firing on every Down.
- Changing a confirmed contact’s address resets it back to unconfirmed.