---
title: "Call recording"
description: "Set up automatic recording by queue or agent, or start, pause, and resume recording manually from the softphone, and access dual-channel recordings from Call History."
doc_type: how-to
audience: merchant
sidebar_position: 11
# Provenance — do not edit by hand; used by re-run diffing and redirects.
confluence_page_id: "4160061470"
confluence_url: "https://ultracart.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ucdoc/pages/4160061470"
last_updated_in_confluence: "2026-02-18T17:45:46.723Z"
---
UltraCart Calls provides flexible call recording with both automatic and manual controls. You can record calls for quality assurance, training, compliance, or dispute resolution. Recordings are dual-channel (agent and caller on separate audio tracks), stored securely, and automatically linked to call history records.

## Overview

Call recording captures both sides of a conversation during a live call. You can configure recording to start automatically for all calls in a queue or for an agent's outbound calls, or you can start and stop recording manually during any call. Recordings are accessible from the call history detail view.

Recording automatically pauses during [agent-assisted payment capture](./agent-assisted-payments.md) to protect sensitive card data and maintain PCI compliance.

## Automatic recording

Automatic recording starts as soon as an agent connects with a caller, with no manual action required.

### Queue-level automatic recording

Enable automatic recording for all calls taken from a specific queue:

1.  Navigate to **Calls > Settings > Queues**.
2.  Edit the queue.
3.  Toggle **Record Calls** on.
4.  Select **Save**.

Every call answered from this queue is now recorded automatically. The recording starts when the agent connects and stops when the call ends.

### Agent-level automatic recording

Enable automatic recording for all outbound calls made by a specific agent:

1.  Navigate to **Calls > Settings > Agents**.
2.  Edit the agent profile.
3.  Toggle **Record Outgoing Calls Automatically** on.
4.  Select **Save**.

Every outbound call this agent makes is now recorded automatically.

:::tip

Use queue-level recording for inbound calls and agent-level recording for outbound calls. Together, they ensure all calls are captured without agents needing to remember to start recording.

:::

## Manual recording controls

During any active call, you can start, pause, and resume recording using the recording button on the softphone control panel.

### Recording states

| Button label | Current state | What happens when selected |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Start Recording** | No recording in progress | Begins recording the call |
| **Pause Recording** | Recording is active | Pauses the recording (audio is not captured while paused) |
| **Resume Recording** | Recording is paused | Resumes recording from where it was paused |

The recording button label updates automatically to reflect the current state.

### When to pause recording

Pause recording when sensitive information is being discussed that shouldn't be captured:

-   Credit card numbers, social security numbers, or other sensitive personal data
-   Confidential business information
-   Any content the caller requests not to be recorded

:::info

Recording pauses automatically during [agent-assisted payment capture](./agent-assisted-payments.md). You don't need to pause manually when capturing credit card information through the payment flow.

:::

## PCI compliance

UltraCart Calls is designed to protect sensitive payment data in recordings:

-   **Automatic pause during payment capture** -- when an agent initiates an agent-assisted payment session, recording pauses automatically. It resumes when the payment session completes or is canceled.
-   **Manual pause for sensitive conversations** -- agents can pause recording at any time for conversations involving sensitive data not covered by the automatic pause.

This ensures that credit card numbers, CVVs, and other payment details are never stored in call recordings.

## Dual-channel recording

Recordings capture the agent and caller on separate audio channels. This separation provides:

-   **Clearer audio** -- each speaker's voice is isolated, reducing cross-talk
-   **Better transcription** -- the [transcription service](./call-transcription.md) can identify who said what, producing speaker-labeled transcripts

## Accessing recordings

Recordings are available in the **Call History** detail view:

1.  Navigate to **Calls > History**.
2.  Select a call record to open its detail view.
3.  The recording appears as a playable audio player within the call record.

Each recording shows the full audio captured during the call (excluding paused segments).

## Recording retention

Recordings are retained for 90 days. After the retention period, recordings are automatically deleted. If you need to retain recordings longer, download them from the call history detail view before the retention period expires.

> **Important:** Plan your recording retention needs accordingly. Once the 90-day retention period passes, recordings cannot be recovered.

## Related pages

-   [The softphone interface](./the-softphone-interface.md) -- recording controls during active calls
-   [Call transcription](./call-transcription.md) -- automatic transcription of recordings
-   [Agent-assisted payments](./agent-assisted-payments.md) -- automatic recording pause during payment capture
-   [Call queues](./call-queues.md) -- enable automatic recording per queue
-   [Agent management](./agent-management.md) -- enable automatic recording for outbound calls
-   [Call history](./call-history-and-analytics.md) -- access recordings in call records