Why Alternate Contacts Matter
By default, AWS sends all notifications to the root account email. This creates problems:- Security alerts may go unnoticed if the root inbox isn’t actively monitored.
- Billing notifications may not reach finance teams.
- Operational alerts (e.g., service health) may not reach the on-call team.
Contact Types
AWS supports three alternate contact categories:Configuring via the Console
- Sign in to the AWS Management Console.
- Navigate to Account Settings (or go to
https://console.aws.amazon.com/billing/home#/account). - Scroll to the Alternate Contacts section.
- Enter the Full Name, Title, Email Address, and Phone Number for each contact type.
- Click Update.
Configuring via AWS CLI
Configuring at Scale with AWS Organizations
If you manage multiple accounts, you can set alternate contacts programmatically across all member accounts from the management account:This requires the Organizations trusted access for the Account Management service to be enabled. You can also automate this with AWS CloudFormation StackSets or Terraform.
Best Practices
- Use distribution lists or shared mailboxes rather than individual emails so contacts survive team changes.
- Set alternate contacts on every account in your organization, not just the management account.
- Review and update contacts quarterly or when team structures change.
- Consider using the same security contact across all accounts for centralized incident response.