---
title: "Call transcription"
description: "View automatic call and voicemail transcripts with speaker labels and timestamps from the call history detail view, and check transcript status (Pending, Completed, Failed)."
doc_type: explanation
audience: merchant
sidebar_position: 12
# Provenance — do not edit by hand; used by re-run diffing and redirects.
confluence_page_id: "4160585729"
confluence_url: "https://ultracart.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ucdoc/pages/4160585729"
last_updated_in_confluence: "2026-02-18T17:45:47.595Z"
---
Call recordings are automatically transcribed, producing a full-text transcript with speaker identification and timestamps. Transcripts make it easy to search, review, and reference calls without listening to the full audio. Voicemail messages are also transcribed automatically.

## Overview

When a call recording completes, UltraCart automatically sends it for transcription. The transcription service produces two outputs: a plain-text transcript of the entire call and a detailed time-stamped transcript with speaker labels identifying who said what. Transcripts are linked to the call record and accessible from the call history detail view.

Voicemail messages are also transcribed automatically, so you can read the caller's message without listening to the audio.

## How transcription works

Transcription runs automatically after a recording finishes. No manual action is required.

1.  The call ends and the recording is finalized.
2.  The recording is submitted for transcription.
3.  The transcription service processes the audio using speaker diarization (identifying different speakers) and speech-to-text conversion.
4.  The completed transcript is stored and linked to the call record.

Transcripts typically appear within a few minutes of the call ending, depending on the length of the recording.

## Transcript outputs

Each transcription produces two formats:

### Full text transcript

A plain-text version of the entire conversation. This is the simplest format -- a continuous block of text capturing everything said during the call.

### Speaker-labeled transcript

A detailed transcript broken into segments, where each segment is attributed to a specific speaker and includes a timestamp. This format lets you see exactly who said what and when.

In the call history detail view, the speaker-labeled transcript is displayed as a conversation with each segment attributed to the appropriate speaker.

## Transcript status

Transcripts go through three states:

| Status | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| Pending | The recording has been submitted for transcription but is not yet complete |
| Completed | The transcript is ready and available for review |
| Failed | Transcription could not be completed (e.g., audio quality too poor) |

## Accessing call transcripts

1.  Navigate to **Calls > History**.
2.  Select a call record to open its detail view.
3.  The transcript appears below the recording player, showing speaker-labeled segments of the conversation.

## Voicemail transcription

Voicemail messages are transcribed automatically when the recording is saved. The transcript text appears in the voicemail playback dialog alongside the audio player. This lets you quickly scan a message's content without listening to the audio.

See [Voicemail](./voicemail.md) for details on managing voicemail messages.

## AI whisper transcripts

When [AI coaching](./transfers-and-conferencing.md) is active during a call, the call history detail view also shows what the AI coach said to the agent. This includes:

-   **AI whisper messages** -- real-time suggestions the AI provided during the call
-   **AI tool calls** -- actions the AI agent took during the call (such as looking up order information)

These entries are separate from the call transcript and appear in their own section of the call detail view.

## Related pages

-   [Call recording](./call-recording.md) -- recording configuration and controls
-   [Voicemail](./voicemail.md) -- voicemail message transcription
-   [Call history](./call-history-and-analytics.md) -- accessing call records and transcripts
-   [AI voice agents](./ai-voice-agents.md) -- AI coaching and whisper functionality