# Declare an incident in the web app

Create an incident and its first declaration event from the global header.

## Before you start

### Intended audience

Responders who need to start an incident from the web app.

### Required permissions

You need permission to create incidents in the workspace.


### Prerequisites

- Sign in to the target Tellagen workspace.

## Procedure

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1. **Open the declaration dialog.** Select Declare in the global header.

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2. **Review the work type.** Make sure that Incident is selected. It is the default work type.

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3. **Describe the incident.** Enter a clear title. Select the current severity.

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4. **Use the full form when needed.** Select Open full form to add impact, evidence, source, service, screenshots, or routing.

![Declare incident dialog with Incident selected and the Open full form action.](https://tellagen.com/help/assets/incident-declaration-dialog-2026-08-29.webp)

Use the compact dialog for a fast declaration or open the full form for more context.

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5. **Declare the incident.** Select Declare incident. Tellagen creates one incident and one declaration event.

## You are done when…

The new incident opens with its immutable reference and a declaration event in Timeline.

## Troubleshooting

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### Declare incident is disabled.

Enter an Incident title, choose Current severity, and choose a Work type. If severity options are still loading, wait or retry the catalog request.

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### The page says the incident already exists.

Open the incident instead of submitting again. The declaration form keeps retry actions separate so a failed attachment does not create a duplicate incident.

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### Declare incident is unavailable.

Ask a workspace manager to make sure that your role can create incidents.

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### Important context does not fit.

Select Open full form before declaration.

## Related articles

- **Recommended next task:** [Set incident scope and ownership](https://tellagen.com/help/update-incident-scope)
- [Use the incident overview](https://tellagen.com/help/use-incident-overview)
- [Declare from Slack](https://tellagen.com/help/declare-incident-from-slack)


## Continue through the incident lifecycle

- **Previous task:** [Use the public API reference](https://tellagen.com/help/use-public-api-reference)
- **Next task:** [Declare an incident from Slack](https://tellagen.com/help/declare-incident-from-slack)
- [Back to Support Center](https://tellagen.com/help#help-search)

## Last verified date

2026-08-29