> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.custral.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Recording > Call recording for the dialer, plus the Meeting Assistant for video calls. Custral records conversations from two distinct sources: **calls placed or received through the dialer** (covered first), and **video meetings joined by the Meeting Assistant bot** (covered in [Meeting Assistant](#meeting-assistant)). ## Call recording (dialer) Custral records calls placed or received through the dialer via a live media stream. That same stream powers **live transcription and AI features**, so a call that isn't recorded also isn't transcribed. Recordings and transcripts appear in the Conversation timeline. ### The recording policy Set the workspace default in **Settings → Phone & SMS → Recording**. There are three modes: | Mode | What happens | | -------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Always record** | Every call is recorded (and transcribed). This is the default. | | **Never record** | No call is recorded or transcribed. | | **Record based on caller state** | Recording depends on the US state of the call party. See below. | The all-party (two-party) consent state list is a configurable **default, not legal advice**. Recording-consent law is nuanced and changes over time. Confirm your obligations with counsel. You are responsible for lawful recording. ### State-based recording When the mode is **Record based on caller state**, Custral derives the state of the call party from their phone number (using Twilio's location data when available, falling back to the area code). You choose: * **Apply based on**: *Other party's state* (the customer) or *Either party's state* (the stricter reading: trigger if your number's state **or** the other party's state requires all-party consent). * **In all-party-consent states**: either **Announce, then record** (play a consent notice, then record; keeps transcription and AI working) or **Don't record** (no audio is captured for those calls; transcription and AI are skipped too). * **All-party-consent states**: the list of states the rule applies to. Defaults to the commonly-cited two-party states; edit as needed. * **Consent announcement**: the spoken notice played before connecting when the action is *Announce*. On inbound calls the caller hears it; on outbound calls the called party hears it before the call is bridged. ### Per-number override A specific number can override the workspace policy. Edit the number under **My Numbers** and set **Call recording** to *Use workspace default*, *Always record*, or *Never record*. The override wins over the workspace default for that line. ### Retention Recordings are retained according to your storage policy. Custral does not delete recordings on its own. You can add a workflow that deletes call recordings on a schedule (for example, 90 days after the call) so retention matches your policy. ### Transcription Transcription rides on the recording stream: when a call is recorded it is transcribed automatically and the transcript appears alongside the recording in the timeline, with speaker labeling on by default. A call that the policy does **not** record is therefore not transcribed. ### Access Recording playback follows the same permissions as the parent Conversation. Users without access to the Conversation cannot play the recording, even with a direct link. ## Meeting Assistant The **Meeting Assistant** is a virtual bot that joins your video calls to record and transcribe them. It is configured separately from dialer call recording, in **Settings → Meeting Assistant**. The Meeting Assistant records **video meetings** (e.g. Zoom, Google Meet) by joining as a participant. Dialer call recording (above) is a separate Twilio-backed feature. The two have independent settings. ### Configuration All options live on the **General Settings** tab. Edits are applied with the **Save Preferences** button at the bottom. They are not saved as you type. **Core settings** | Field | Control | Default | What it does | | ------------------------ | ------------ | ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Auto-record Meetings | Toggle | Off | Automatically join and record meetings detected on your calendar. | | Assistant Display Name | Text | `Custral AI Assistant` | The name the bot shows in the meeting participant list. | | Calendars to Auto-Record | Multi-select | All connected | Restrict auto-recording to specific connected calendars. Leave empty to record from all of them. | **Calendars to Auto-Record** is disabled and shows "No calendars connected" when you have no calendars linked. Connect a calendar first. See [Calendar](/comms/calendar/overview). **Auto-record filters** These narrow which detected meetings the assistant actually joins. | Field | Control | Default | What it does | | -------------------------- | --------- | ------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | External Participants Only | Toggle | On | Only record meetings that include someone from outside your organization. | | Record Only If I Am Host | Toggle | Off | Only join meetings where you are the organizer. | | Trigger Keywords | Tag input | Empty | Only record meetings whose title or description contains one of these keywords. Empty means no keyword filter. | | Ignore Keywords | Tag input | Empty | Never record meetings whose title or description contains one of these keywords. | **Media settings** | Toggle | Default | What it does | | ------------- | ------- | --------------------------- | | Capture Audio | On | Record the meeting's audio. | | Capture Video | On | Record the meeting's video. | **Trigger Keywords** and **Ignore Keywords** are matched against the meeting's title and description. To avoid ambiguity, keep the two lists from overlapping. ### Turning it on Link the calendar whose meetings you want recorded. See [Calendar](/comms/calendar/overview). Turn on **Auto-record Meetings**, and optionally restrict it under **Calendars to Auto-Record**. Set **External Participants Only**, **Record Only If I Am Host**, and your **Trigger / Ignore Keywords** so the bot joins only the meetings you want. Click **Save Preferences**. New meetings matching your rules will be joined by the assistant. ## Troubleshooting | Symptom | Likely cause | What to check | | ------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | A call wasn't recorded | Policy mode is **Never record**, a per-number override is set to *Never*, or **state-based** suppressed it | Check **Settings → Phone & SMS → Recording**, then the number's **Call recording** override under My Numbers. | | Transcript / AI missing on a call | The call wasn't recorded, transcription rides on the recording stream | If you need transcripts in an all-party state, set the action to **Announce, then record** instead of **Don't record**. | | No consent announcement played | Mode isn't state-based, the call's state isn't in the all-party list, or the action is **Don't record** | Confirm the mode, the **All-party-consent states** list, and that the action is **Announce, then record**. | | Wrong state detected | Number has a non-geographic / ported area code | State is derived from the area code (or Twilio location). Use **Either party's state** for a stricter rule, or **Always record** for that number. | | Outbound callee didn't hear the notice | Called an internal client or a non-US number | The announcement plays to the called party before bridging; it has no state to match for non-US numbers. | | Meeting Assistant never joins any meeting | **Auto-record Meetings** is off | Enable **Auto-record Meetings** on the General Settings tab and save. | | "Calendars to Auto-Record" is greyed out | No calendars connected | Connect a calendar first. See [Calendar](/comms/calendar/overview). | | Some meetings are skipped | Auto-record filters are excluding them | Review **External Participants Only**, **Record Only If I Am Host**, **Trigger Keywords**, and **Ignore Keywords**. | | Only internal meetings are missed | **External Participants Only** is on | Turn off **External Participants Only** if you also want internal-only meetings recorded. | | Meetings you're invited to (but don't host) are skipped | **Record Only If I Am Host** is on | Turn off **Record Only If I Am Host** to record meetings where you're a guest. | | Recording has no video (or no audio) | **Capture Video** / **Capture Audio** disabled | Enable the relevant Media Settings toggle and save. | | Changes don't stick | Preferences weren't saved | Click **Save Preferences** after editing. Settings are not saved automatically. | | Bot shows the wrong name in the call | **Assistant Display Name** not updated | Set **Assistant Display Name** and save. | ## Related Connect and manage the calendars the Meeting Assistant watches. ## Related topics - [The Usage module object](/dev/api-reference/usage-modules.md) - [Phone & SMS Settings](/blocks/embedded/phone/settings.md) - [Zoom](/integrations/zoom.md) - [Google Meet](/integrations/google-meet.md) - [Microsoft Teams](/integrations/microsoft-teams.md)