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Call Recording

Recording calls is useful for quality, training, and dispute resolution — but it carries consent and compliance obligations. This guide covers enabling recording, capturing consent, storage, and retrieval.

🚀 Quick Start​

curl -X POST https://api.afriroute.ai/api/v1/voice/calls \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $AFRIROUTE_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "to": "+254712345678",
    "from": "+254700000000",
    "record": true,
    "recording_callback_url": "https://example.com/recordings"
  }'

🎙️ Enabling Recording​

Set record: true when creating a call, or start recording mid-call once consent is captured.

await fetch('https://api.afriroute.ai/api/v1/voice/calls', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: { 'Authorization': 'Bearer $AFRIROUTE_API_KEY', 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    to: '+234803000000',
    from: '+234700000000',
    record: true,
    recording_channels: 'dual'   // separate caller/agent tracks
  })
});
OptionValuesNotes
recordtrue / falseMaster switch
recording_channelsmono / dualDual keeps speakers on separate tracks
recording_callback_urlURLNotified when the file is ready

✅ Consent & Compliance​

Many African jurisdictions require notifying or obtaining consent from the caller before recording.

  • Play a disclosure at call start: "This call may be recorded for quality."
  • Capture explicit consent for sensitive flows ("Press 1 to consent to recording").
  • Stop on opt-out — don't record if the caller declines.
  • Keep a consent log tied to the recording ID.
{
  "say": "This call may be recorded for quality and training. Press 1 to continue.",
  "gather": { "input": "dtmf", "num_digits": 1 }
}

💾 Storage & Retrieval​

Recordings are stored securely and referenced by a recording ID delivered to your callback.

import requests

def fetch_recording(recording_id):
    r = requests.get(
        f'https://api.afriroute.ai/api/v1/voice/recordings/{recording_id}',
        headers={'Authorization': 'Bearer $AFRIROUTE_API_KEY'}
    )
    return r.json()['download_url']  # short-lived signed URL

The webhook payload when a recording is ready:

{
  "recording_id": "rec_9F2K",
  "call_id": "call_abc123",
  "duration": 184,
  "format": "mp3",
  "status": "completed"
}

💡 Best Practices​

  • Disclose recording at the start of every recorded call.
  • Set a retention policy and delete recordings past it.
  • Restrict access to recordings via scoped API keys.
  • Use dual-channel when you need speaker separation for analytics.
  • Download promptly — signed URLs expire.
  • Encrypt at rest and in transit (handled by the platform).

📚 Related Resources​

Last Updated: May 2026