> Fetch clean Markdown by appending `.md` to any page URL under https://signalwire.com/docs or requesting it with the HTTP header `Accept: text/markdown`. The root index at https://signalwire.com/docs/llms.txt lists the available documentation indexes.

# transcribe

> Transcribe the entire call in the background. Use live_transcribe for real-time transcription.

[statuscallbacks]: #statuscallbacks

Transcribe the entire call in the background. Execution continues to the next instruction while the call proceeds; the transcription covers the whole call and completes when the call ends. To stop it early, use the [`transcribe_stop`](/docs/swml/reference/calling/transcribe-stop) method.

For real-time transcription delivered as the call happens, use [`live_transcribe`](/docs/swml/reference/calling/live-transcribe) instead.

Only one transcription can be active on a call at a time. Starting another while one is already running will fail.

## **Properties**

**`transcribe`** `object` — required

An object that accepts the following properties.

---

**`transcribe.status_url`** `string`

An HTTP or HTTPS URL that receives the status callback when the transcription finishes. Learn more about [status callbacks][statuscallbacks].

---

## **Variables**

**`transcribe_result`** `success | failed`

Whether transcription started successfully.

---

**`transcribe_control_id`** `string`

Identifier assigned to this transcription. `transcribe_stop` uses it to stop the right one.

---

## **StatusCallbacks**

> **Status callbacks are advisory**
>
> Status callbacks are asynchronous, best-effort HTTP notifications: delivery can be delayed or fail silently — if your server is unreachable, the callback simply never arrives. Don't gate time-critical or business-critical actions solely on receiving one. Confirm state via the REST API before acting, or use a transport with visible failure modes — see [Status callback reliability](/docs/platform/webhooks#status-callback-reliability).

When you set `status_url`, SignalWire POSTs a transcript event to it when the call's transcription finishes: `calling.transcript.completed` includes the transcribed `text` when speech was captured, or `calling.transcript.failed` if the call could not be transcribed.

See the [Transcript status callback](/docs/apis/rest/webhooks/transcribe-status-callback) webhook page for the full field reference.

---

## **Example**

#### YAML

```yaml
version: 1.0.0
sections:
  main:
    - transcribe:
        status_url: https://example.com/transcribe-status
```

#### JSON

```json
{
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "sections": {
    "main": [
      {
        "transcribe": {
          "status_url": "https://example.com/transcribe-status"
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}
```

> Transcribe the entire call in the background. Use live_transcribe for real-time transcription.