> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.sureops.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Recurrence chains
> How sureops links recurring incidents to the same root problem and lets you track re-opening frequency
When a new incident closes and sureops detects that it matches the pattern of an existing problem, it links the incident as a **recurrence** rather than opening a new problem record. Over time this builds a chain — a durable record of every time the same underlying issue has surfaced, with dates, durations, and closure context preserved.
***
## Why this matters
Without recurrence tracking, each incident that stems from the same root cause is resolved in isolation. Teams fix the symptom, close the ticket, and rediscover the same problem weeks later. Recurrence chains make the pattern visible:
* How many times has this service failed in the last 90 days?
* Is the fix applied in the first incident actually holding?
* Are recurrences accelerating (shorter gaps) or stabilizing (longer gaps)?
***
## How sureops links a recurrence
When an incident reaches closure, sureops automatically runs a pattern-matching step:
sureops compares the closed incident's root cause signals — affected services, failure mode, alert fingerprint, and AI-generated diagnosis summary — against open and recently-resolved problem records.
If the similarity score exceeds the recurrence threshold, sureops marks the incident as a recurrence of the matching problem rather than creating a new problem record.
The problem record is updated: the incident is appended to the recurrence chain, the **Last seen** date is updated, and the recurrence count increments. If the problem was previously marked Resolved, its status returns to **Active**.
Anyone watching the problem record receives a recurrence notification. The incident timeline links to the problem; the problem detail page links back to the incident.
A resolved problem re-opening on recurrence is intentional, not a bug. It signals the original fix was incomplete or that a regression occurred. The full prior history is preserved — you don't lose previous resolution context.
***
## Viewing a recurrence chain
Open any problem record and scroll to the **Recurrence History** section. The timeline shows every linked incident:
| Column | What it shows |
| -------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| Incident | ID and title of the linked incident |
| Opened | When the incident was detected |
| Closed | When it was resolved |
| Duration | Time from open to close |
| Severity | P1–P4 severity assigned at the time |
| Gap | Time elapsed since the previous recurrence |
The timeline is sorted newest-first. The **Gap** column helps you spot whether recurrences are accelerating or stabilizing after a fix.
***
## Problem status and recurrences
| Problem status | Meaning |
| -------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Active** | A linked incident is currently open, or a recurrence was detected recently |
| **Monitoring** | The last linked incident closed; watching to confirm the fix holds |
| **Resolved** | No recurrences within the monitoring window |
When a recurrence is detected on a **Resolved** problem:
* Status moves back to **Active** automatically
* The incident is appended to the chain (original history is never modified)
* `recurrence_count` increments
A problem that has recurred three or more times with short gaps between incidents likely has an unresolved root cause. sureops flags these records to prompt deeper investigation.
***
## Manual linking
Automatic linking handles the common case. You can also link incidents manually:
1. Open the incident detail page
2. Scroll to the **Problem Record** section
3. Click **Link to existing problem**
4. Search for the problem by title or ID and confirm
Manual links appear in the recurrence chain with the same metadata as automatic ones.
***
## Correcting a wrong match
If the automatic similarity match linked the wrong problem:
1. Open the problem record
2. Find the incident in **Recurrence History**
3. Click **Unlink**
4. If the incident belongs to a different problem, link it manually from the incident detail page
sureops uses your corrections to improve future matching.
***
## Configuration
Your Admin can adjust recurrence behavior in **Settings → Problem Management**:
| Setting | Default | Description |
| ----------------------------- | ------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| Recurrence lookback window | 90 days | How far back sureops looks for matching problems |
| Similarity threshold | Medium | Sensitivity of automatic match scoring |
| Auto-reopen resolved problems | Enabled | Whether a recurrence on a Resolved problem re-opens it |
***
## Frequently asked questions
**Can a single incident appear in multiple recurrence chains?**
No. Each incident links to at most one problem. If you link manually, that link takes precedence over any automatic match.
**Does recurrence tracking update the problem's AI analysis?**
Yes. When a recurrence is detected, sureops re-runs the problem's AI analysis with the new incident's data added as context. The updated analysis appears in the problem's **AI Analysis** tab.
**What if no matching problem exists?**
A new problem record is created automatically at incident closure, just as it would be for any novel incident pattern.
***
## Related
* [Tracker sync](/next/problem-management/tracker-sync) — push problem records (including recurrence updates) to your issue tracker
* [Incident channels](/next/problem-management/incident-channels) — get Slack notifications when a recurrence is detected