> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.brilo.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Recordings, transcripts and retention

> Turn call recording on or off for a Brilo agent and set how many days conversations are kept, so recordings match what you promised your customers.

Two settings under **Privacy** in your agent's **Advanced** tab control what is kept after a call:
**Audio Recording** and **Retention Period**. They are per agent, so you can record your reception line
and not record a line that handles sensitive calls.

## Before you start

* An agent. See [Create your first agent](/agents/create-your-first-agent).
* Five minutes.
* Whatever your privacy notice already promises customers. Match the setting to the promise, not the other
  way round.
* You will be working in the **Privacy** section of your agent's **Advanced** tab.

## Steps

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Advanced tab">
    Open your agent, go to **Advanced**, and expand **Privacy**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Decide whether to record">
    **Audio Recording** records the conversation and stores it against the call, so you can listen back.
    Turn it off on this agent to keep its conversations private.

    Turning recording off does not turn off the written record of the call. You still get the summary and
    the extracted details, which is usually enough to run the business.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the retention period">
    Where your account has **Retention Period**, it is a number of days. Enter `30` to keep conversations
    for thirty days, or `-1` to keep them indefinitely.

    Pick the shortest period that still lets you handle a complaint. For most businesses that is somewhere
    between 30 and 90 days.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save and check a call">
    Save, then make a test call and open the call record to confirm you get what you expected and nothing
    you did not.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## You will know it worked when

You open a recent call record and find exactly what your setting says should be there: a recording if you
turned recording on, and no recording if you turned it off.

## Choosing a retention period

| Situation                                            | A sensible period                     |
| ---------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------- |
| General business, complaints handled quickly         | 30 days                               |
| Bookings and deposits, where disputes come later     | 90 days                               |
| Regulated work with a defined record keeping duty    | Whatever the rule says, and no longer |
| Nothing sensitive, and you want history for training | Indefinite, with `-1`                 |

Keeping recordings forever because it is the default is a decision, not the absence of one. The less you
hold, the less there is to go wrong.

## Telling callers they are recorded

Recording a call and telling people you are recording it are two different obligations, and the second one
depends on where you and your callers are. Some places require an announcement, some require consent, and
some require neither.

If you need to announce it, put it in your greeting and turn **Interrupt Greeting** off so it cannot be
skipped. See [Set your greeting](/agents/set-your-greeting).

<Note>
  This page explains what the settings do. It is not legal advice, and the rules depend on where your
  callers are. Check what applies to you before you rely on a recording.
</Note>

## What else you can do here

* Choose the model and transcriber, in the **Models** section on the same tab. See
  [Choose your AI model](/agents/choose-your-ai-model).
* Run a second agent with recording off for sensitive calls, on its own number. See
  [Assign a number to an agent](/phone-numbers/assign-a-number-to-an-agent).
* Turn off contact recognition as well, if callers should not be identified out loud. See
  [Remember callers between calls](/agents/remember-callers).
* Send the call details to your own system, where your own retention rules apply. See
  [Send data to your systems](/actions/send-data-to-your-systems).

## If it did not work

**There is no recording on a call.** Check **Audio Recording** was on for that agent at the time the call
happened. Changing the setting does not create recordings for calls already finished.

**A recording you expected has gone.** It passed the retention period. Once a conversation ages out it
cannot be recovered, which is the point of setting a period.

**You cannot see Retention Period.** It is not enabled on every account. Email
[support@brilo.ai](mailto:support@brilo.ai) if you need a specific retention period set.

**The retention value will not save.** Enter a whole number of days, or `-1` for indefinite. Nothing else
is accepted.

**You need a single call deleted before its retention period.** Contact
[support@brilo.ai](mailto:support@brilo.ai) with the call details.

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How do I stop Brilo recording my calls?">
    Open the agent, go to **Advanced**, expand **Privacy**, and turn off **Audio Recording**. It is a per
    agent setting, so other agents keep recording unless you change them too.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How long does Brilo keep my call recordings?">
    For as long as the **Retention Period** on the agent says. Enter a number of days, or `-1` to keep them
    indefinitely. Where the setting is not available on your account, contact support to have a period set.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="If I turn off recording, do I still get transcripts and summaries?">
    You still get the written record of the call, including the summary and any details you set up for
    extraction. What you give up is the audio.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I have to tell callers the call is recorded?">
    It depends where you and your callers are. Some places require an announcement or consent, others do
    not. If you need one, put it in your greeting and turn off **Interrupt Greeting** so it cannot be
    talked over.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I record one agent and not another?">
    Yes. Recording is per agent, which is the usual way to handle it: record your general reception line
    and run a separate agent with recording off for sensitive calls.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I get a specific call deleted?">
    Contact [support@brilo.ai](mailto:support@brilo.ai) with the call details. Otherwise conversations are
    removed automatically when they pass the retention period.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is Brilo HIPAA compliant?">
    That depends on your plan and your setup rather than a single switch. See
    [Plans and what they include](/supported/plans), and talk to
    [support@brilo.ai](mailto:support@brilo.ai) before going live in a clinical setting.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related

* [Choose your AI model](/agents/choose-your-ai-model) for the other half of the Advanced tab
* [Set your greeting](/agents/set-your-greeting) to announce recording where required
* [Remember callers between calls](/agents/remember-callers) for identifying callers out loud
* [Send data to your systems](/actions/send-data-to-your-systems) to keep records in your own system
* [Plans and what they include](/supported/plans) for what each plan covers