Add the right context
Include service owner, severity, and impacted journeys directly in the alert payload.
Link the most recent deploy and feature flag changes so responders see potential causes.
Every alert should answer who owns it, what failed, and what to try first.
Embed runbooks and tests
Attach step-by-step runbooks and a test command to verify a fix before closing the incident.
Add fallback actions when primary runbooks fail or require escalation.
Keep enrichment fresh
Review alert templates after major architecture changes or post-incident learnings.
Version and test alert payloads in staging just like any other code change.