Set up Smart Call Recording in a Call Center campaign

Turn on call recording that automatically follows US consent laws, so you can record calls in your Call Center campaign without tracking state rules yourself.

Why use Smart Call Recording

Call recording laws in the United States vary by state. Some states need consent from only one person on the call, while others need consent from everyone. Smart Call Recording sorts your contacts into the right consent category automatically and applies the recording behavior you choose for each. You get recordings and transcripts you can use for quality review, Call Sentiments, and Contact Categorization, while the compliance work happens in the background. When your calls involve contacts in different states, the system follows the strictest applicable law.

Before you start

• You need a Call Center campaign. Smart Call Recording is set during campaign setup, in the campaign's Recording tab.
• The Recording tab was previously named AI features. Call Sentiments and Contact Categorization now live under Call Recording.
• Automated consent classification works for US-based campaigns. Outside the US, recording still works, but you choose the recording method yourself based on local regulations.
• Setup takes about 2 minutes.

ⓘ AI features cannot be used in the campaign unless Call Recording is enabled. Turn recording on first if you plan to use Call Sentiments or Contact Categorization.

ⓘ 2 cents is charged for each recorded call in the campaign. Budget for this when you estimate campaign costs.

Steps to set up Smart Call Recording

1. While setting up your Call Center campaign, open the Recording tab (previously AI features).
2. Turn on the slider for Call Recording. [Screenshot: The Recording tab in Call Center campaign setup, annotated on the Call Recording slider | filename: call-center_recording_enable-slider.png | alt: The Recording tab of a Call Center campaign with the Call Recording slider turned on]
3. Choose the recording behavior for contacts in one-party consent states:
   • Automatically record the conversation (default). Every connected call is recorded.
   • Allow agents to manually record. Agents start recording during the call if needed. This is helpful if you are unsure about consent classification and want agents to confirm consent verbally before recording.

4. Choose the recording behavior for contacts in all-party consent states:

   • Record Agent Side only (default). Only the agent's voice is recorded. No audio, silence, or any part of the contact's side is captured. You still get a transcript and recording of the agent side.
   • Allow agents to manually record the conversation. Agents see a Start Recording button, take verbal consent first, then start the recording. The contact hears a disclaimer when recording begins, and agents can stop and restart recording during the call.
   • Play Disclaimer and Record Full conversation. The system plays a disclaimer to the contact and records the entire call automatically. You can customize the disclaimer audio. The default message is This call is being recorded for quality purposes.
   • Do Not record conversation. Calls to contacts in all-party consent states are not recorded. Only one-party state calls are recorded in the campaign.

   [Screenshot: The all-party recording options in the Recording tab, annotated on the option selector | filename: call-center_recording_all-party-options.png | alt: Recording behavior options for all-party consent states in a Call Center campaign]

5. Finish the rest of your campaign setup and launch the campaign.

What agents see in the agent console

One-party calls

For contacts that qualify as one-party consent, the system records the call automatically when Call Recording is on. Agents see a Call is being recorded banner in the right corner of the agent console screen. No action is needed from the agent.

All-party calls

What agents see depends on the behavior you chose in step 4:

• Manual recording: Agents see a Start Recording button. They obtain verbal consent from the contact, then click Start Recording to record the call. A reminder (nudge) appears asking them to make sure verbal consent has been taken. The nudge appears only when they first start the recording. Agents can stop and restart recording during the call. [Screenshot: Agent console during an all-party call, annotated on the Start Recording button | filename: call-center_recording_start-recording-button.png | alt: Agent console showing the Start Recording button for an all-party consent call]
• Play disclaimer and record: The system plays the disclaimer and starts recording without agent action.
• Record agent side only: Only the agent's audio is recorded throughout the call. No audio from the contact is recorded.
• Do not record: The call is not recorded.

How CallHub decides which consent rules apply

Smart Call Recording is a compliance aid for US-based campaigns. When you enable Call Recording, the system identifies whether each contact belongs to a one-party or all-party consent state. Classification is based on, in order:

1. ZIP code
2. State
3. Area code

The matching recording behavior is then applied automatically on each call.

One-party vs all-party consent

In the US, call recording is regulated by federal law and state laws. States generally fall into two categories:

• One-party consent: only one participant on the call needs to consent to recording.
• All-party consent (often called two-party consent): everyone on the call must consent before recording.

What if the call involves different states? When participants are in different states, the safest approach is to follow the stricter law, meaning you should obtain consent from all parties if any state involved requires it. When in doubt, always obtain explicit consent from everyone on the call. Smart Call Recording is designed the same way: it follows the strictest applicable law.

State-specific nuances

Some states have specific rules:

• Connecticut: two-party consent for phone calls; one-party for in-person conversations.
• Nevada: written as one-party in law, but courts interpret it as two-party for phone calls.
• Oregon: two-party for in-person conversations; one-party for phone calls.
• Maryland: consent required when there is a reasonable expectation of privacy.
• Vermont: no state law; the federal one-party rule applies.
• Michigan and South Dakota: consent required if the recording party is also participating in the call.

Outside the United States

Smart Call Recording is available for countries outside the US, but consent identification is not automated by state. Choose your preferred recording method based on local regulations.

Notes & limits

⚠ Recording laws carry legal risk. Agents are responsible for making sure consent is properly obtained where required, and the strictest applicable law governs when a call spans states with different rules. Brief your agents on taking verbal consent before they start recording.

ⓘ AI features (Call Sentiments and Contact Categorization) cannot be used in the campaign if Call Recording is not enabled.

FAQs

Where did the AI features tab go? 
It was renamed to Recording to accommodate Smart Call Recording. Call Sentiments and Contact Categorization now fall under Call Recording in this tab.

Can I change the disclaimer message? 
Yes. You can customize the audio played as the disclaimer. The default message is This call is being recorded for quality purposes.

What happens if I pick "Do Not record" for all-party states? 
Calls to contacts classified into all-party consent states are not recorded. Only one-party state calls are recorded in the campaign.

Does Smart Call Recording work outside the US? 
Yes, recording works, but the system does not classify contacts by consent state. Pick a recording method that matches your local laws.