In many countries, callers must be notified that their call may be recorded or handled by an AI system. VoiceForge Pro includes an optional IVR consent message — a short automated announcement played before your agent answers. This article explains what it is, when you need it, and how to configure it.
What the IVR consent message is
An IVR (Interactive Voice Response) consent message is a brief recorded announcement played to the caller when they connect — before your AI agent begins the conversation. It typically says something like:
The consent message is played before the AI agent's opening greeting. It does not consume credits. The caller cannot skip it, but it is kept short by design — typically 4–6 seconds.
When you need one
Legal requirements for call recording and AI disclosure vary by country and jurisdiction. This is general guidance — not legal advice. Always verify your specific obligations with a qualified legal professional.
| Region | Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Recommended | UK GDPR requires callers to be informed if the call is being recorded or processed. A consent message satisfies this obligation clearly and simply. |
| European Union | Required in most cases | GDPR Article 13 requires disclosure of automated processing. An IVR message is the standard method for compliance on inbound calls. |
| United States | Varies by state | Federal law requires one-party consent, but many states (California, Florida, Washington etc.) require all-party consent. Enable the message if serving customers in any two-party consent state. |
| Canada | Recommended | PIPEDA requires disclosure of personal information collection. An IVR message satisfies this. |
| Australia | Required | The Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act requires consent before recording. Enable for all Australian numbers. |
| Elsewhere | Consult local law | When in doubt, enable the message. It adds 5 seconds to a call and significantly reduces compliance risk. |
How to enable it
The IVR consent message is configured per-agent in the Call Behaviour section of the Agent Setup tab:
- Go to Agents → Edit → Agent Setup
- Scroll to the Call Behaviour section
- Find IVR Consent Message and toggle it on
- The default message is pre-written and ready to use. You can customise it in the text field below the toggle.
- Click Sync to Voice Agent — the message will play on the next call
Customising the message
The default message covers the essentials for most businesses. You may want to customise it to:
- Use your business name instead of a generic reference
- Match the tone of your brand (formal vs friendly)
- Add a specific reference to AI handling if your jurisdiction requires explicit disclosure
- Remove the recording reference if you're not storing recordings
Note for agencies
If you're deploying agents for clients, you should configure the consent message for each client agent individually, using their business name. The message is per-agent, not account-wide, so each client's calls can have the correct business name in the announcement.
For clients operating in regulated industries (legal, financial, medical), discuss the consent message wording with them before going live. They may have specific compliance language that must be used.