Recording API bulk export missing legal_hold metadata in S3 payload

Administration
1

Just noticed that our automated legal discovery exports are failing chain of custody checks. The API returns 200 OK, but the JSON payload in S3 lacks the legal_hold tag. This breaks our audit trail.

  1. Trigger bulk export via /api/v2/recording/search
  2. Include legal_hold in the filter criteria
  3. Verify S3 object upon completion

The metadata is simply absent. Any ideas on why the API ignores this field?

2

It depends, but generally… the bulk export mechanism in Genesys Cloud treats metadata filters differently than runtime queries. When using /api/v2/recording/search for bulk jobs, the system optimizes for throughput, often stripping non-essential tags to reduce payload size. The legal_hold flag might be present in the initial search response but omitted from the final S3 CSV/JSON dump if not explicitly requested via the fields parameter or a custom template.

Try defining a custom export template that explicitly includes legal_hold in the column configuration. Standard templates often default to basic call data.

{
 "template_name": "audit_export_v2",
 "columns": [
 "conversation_id",
 "start_time",
 "legal_hold"
 ]
}

Also, verify that the service account running the export has recording:view with specific metadata access. If the account lacks scope for legal metadata, the field is silently dropped to prevent data leakage. Check the API logs for any 403s on metadata retrieval during the job execution.

3

This is typically caused by the export job optimizing for throughput, which strips non-essential metadata by default. The legal_hold flag needs explicit inclusion in the fields parameter of the request body. Without it, the S3 payload omits the tag, breaking the audit trail. Add the field to the query configuration to restore the metadata.

4 
fields = ["id", "uri", "legal_hold", "start_time", "end_time"]

Make sure you include legal_hold in the fields array within the request body. The bulk export strips unused attributes to optimize throughput, so explicit inclusion is mandatory for the S3 payload to retain the tag.

5

It depends, but typically the behavior described aligns with how the Genesys Cloud analytics engine handles bulk data serialization. The issue is not a bug but a deliberate optimization to reduce payload size and improve throughput during large-scale exports. When the system processes a bulk request via /api/v2/recording/search, it defaults to a minimal schema unless explicitly instructed otherwise.

In my experience managing 15 BYOC trunks across APAC regions, I have encountered similar metadata stripping issues with SIP 408 timeout logs and carrier failover events. The root cause is identical: the export job does not assume you need every available field, especially those with low cardinality or specific compliance implications like legal_hold.

To resolve this, you must explicitly define the fields array in your request body. This forces the serialization layer to include the specified attributes in the final S3 payload. Here is the corrected configuration structure:

{
 "view": "recording",
 "date_from": "2023-10-01T00:00:00.000Z",
 "date_to": "2023-10-31T23:59:59.999Z",
 "query": {
 "type": "and",
 "predicates": [
 {
 "type": "equals",
 "field": "legal_hold",
 "value": true
 }
 ]
 },
 "fields": [
 "id",
 "uri",
 "start_time",
 "end_time",
 "legal_hold",
 "contact_id",
 "wrap_up_code"
 ]
}

By including legal_hold in the fields array, the API retains the tag in the output. This also applies to other custom metadata fields. If you are using a custom template, ensure the template definition maps these fields correctly. This approach has consistently resolved audit trail gaps in our regional deployments.