Recording Calls and Getting Consent Right
This guide explains the consent bases required before a Wani call can be recorded, the retention rules that apply to stored audio, and the current limitations regarding transcription. It is designed for workspace owners who need to record calls for QA or compliance while understanding exactly what the platform enforces.
1 The three consent bases Wani recognizes
Wani validates recording consent based on three distinct grounds, each with a specific validity period. Explicit consent is treated conservatively, meaning it is considered valid only for a short window to ensure freshness. An existing customer relationship provides a broader validity window, acknowledging that a recent purchase or interaction implies an ongoing relationship. Finally, an inbound request from the caller creates a medium-term expectation, valid for a specific duration from the moment of the request.
2 Consent can expire
Each consent basis is strictly time-bound and will expire after its specific window has elapsed. Wani calculates this expiry dynamically at the time of recording rather than relying on a static flag set when consent was initially captured. This approach ensures that even if a user previously agreed to contact, that agreement is not treated as perpetual if the validity period has passed.
3 The call's purpose must match what was consented to
The purpose of the call must align with the specific type of consent recorded. For promotional calls, only explicit consent is sufficient; other bases like existing relationships or inbound requests do not authorize promotional outreach. Service-related calls, however, may rely on any of the three recognized consent bases, providing more flexibility for operational communications.
4 A recording without logged consent cannot be saved
The platform enforces a hard requirement that a valid consent reference exists before any recording is persisted. This is implemented at the data layer, meaning the system will reject any attempt to save a recording that lacks a linked consent entry. This ensures that audio files are never created for calls where consent was not properly documented.
5 How long recordings are kept
Recordings are subject to a default retention period of 90 days, with a strict maximum ceiling of 3650 days on how long they can be stored in the system, set via WANI_RECORDING_ROOT and WANI_RECORDING_BACKEND. Once a recording passes its retention date, an automated process deletes it to free up space and maintain compliance. You do not need to manually manage the deletion of these files, as the system handles cleanup based on the configured retention settings.
6 Access to a saved recording is time-limited
When you retrieve a link to access a specific recording, that link is valid only for a short default window (10 minutes). There is also a hard maximum limit of one hour on how long any single access link can remain active, and playback grants cannot be signed at all until WANI_RECORDING_ACCESS_SECRET is set. This security measure ensures that direct links to sensitive call recordings do not remain accessible indefinitely, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.
7 What recording does not do yet
Currently, Wani records audio only and does not automatically generate text transcripts. While you may want to search through call content using text, the platform does not have a speech-to-text provider wired in to convert that audio for you. This guide covers the recording and consent mechanics, but you should be aware that transcription is not an automatic part of the recording process today.
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Status: reviewed · reviewed by claude-sonnet-5