Overview
BrightHire supports a candidate opt-in consent link that lets candidates affirmatively consent to recording before any interview is recorded. The same link can be used two different ways depending on whether the candidate exists in your ATS and how your jobs are configured.
Two ways to use the link
1. As the trigger for opt-in (link drives the opt-in paradigm)
Use this when you want the presence of the link itself to put a candidate into opt-in mode. This is the only way to do opt-in for non-ATS candidates.
Add the opt-in link to a calendar event that BrightHire will see (via calendar sync or email import using
[email protected]).When BrightHire detects the
/candidate-opt-in/URL on that event, it sets the candidate's recording decision to "Awaiting Candidate Consent" and will not record until the candidate explicitly opts in.Status surfaces on the scheduled interview card (BrightHire home > upcoming interviews) and on the candidate page.
Required for non-ATS candidates — if a candidate isn't in your ATS (e.g., scheduled directly via
[email protected]), the link on the calendar event is the only way to put them into opt-in mode.
2. As a replacement for the application opt-in radio button
Use this when opt-in is already controlled at the job level in your ATS and you just want a way for the candidate to set or change their decision.
Opt-in is controlled by the opt-in toggle on the position in the ATS (e.g., JBP toggle in Greenhouse). The job being opt-in is what puts the candidate in the opt-in paradigm — no link required on the calendar event.
Candidate must be an ATS candidate (must exist in the ATS).
The link can be included in any candidate communications — the calendar invite, the scheduling email, a confirmation email, etc. The candidate can use it to provide or change their consent decision at any time.
Because the job already puts them in opt-in mode, recording remains off by default regardless of where you send the link.
How candidates use the link
Candidate visits the link and enters their email address.
They receive a verification email with a code.
After verifying, they see a consent page showing how many upcoming interviews are associated with their email and can choose to opt in or decline.
They can return to the link at any time to change their preference. The most recent decision always wins.
Setup
Copy the opt-in link from Settings > Compliance (look for "Copy consent opt-in link").
Depending on which usage pattern you want (see above), either paste it into the calendar event description/location, into a Greenhouse email/calendar template, or both.
FAQ
Where does the candidate's consent live?
For BrightHire opt-in (link or job-level toggle), consent lives in BrightHire. For ATS application-based opt-in, consent lives in the ATS.
Where can recruiters see whether a candidate has opted in?
On the scheduled interview card (BrightHire home > upcoming interviews) and on the candidate page. When the link is being used as the trigger and the candidate hasn't responded yet, status shows as "Awaiting Candidate Consent."
Is there a candidate tag for opt-in / opt-out?
No. There is no dedicated tag today — the status surfaces on the scheduled interview and candidate page rather than as a tag.
Is the link ATS-agnostic?
Yes. As long as your ATS lets you create an email or calendar event template and paste the link into it, the workflow can be automated.
Does the link require calendar sync?
No — it works with either calendar sync or email import ([email protected] on the invite). For calendar sync specifically, the calendar event also needs #brighthire, an ATS link, or an "always record" calendar configuration so BrightHire imports it in the first place.
Can the link be used alongside ATS application-based opt-in?
Yes. The most recent candidate decision wins. For example, if a candidate opts out via the ATS at application and then opts in via the link a week later, they will be recorded. The reverse is also true.
On a job where opt-in is controlled at the job level (e.g., JBP toggle), if I only email the candidate the link — no calendar workflow — does the link still work?
Yes. The candidate can use the URL to set or change their recording decision regardless of how it was sent. However, they will not show "Awaiting Candidate Consent" status, because BrightHire only sets that status when the link is detected on a calendar invite or email import.
On an opt-out job, if someone emails the candidate the opt-in link but does not use a calendar workflow, will the candidate still be recorded?
Yes — they would still be recorded. BrightHire can't see emails, so without the link on a calendar event we have no trigger to switch the candidate into opt-in mode.
If a candidate is not in the ATS but is scheduled via [email protected] with the opt-in link on the invite, what happens?
We will not record unless the candidate explicitly opts in.
Does the link apply to just the one interview, or all of the candidate's upcoming interviews?
A consent decision made via the link applies to all of the candidate's upcoming scheduled interviews with your organization, not just the one whose invite contained the link.
What if an interview has multiple calendar events?
The link only needs to appear on one of them — the system preserves the first detected link across all associated events.
Can the email field on the consent page be pre-populated?
Yes. Append [email protected] to the link to pre-fill the verification form. The candidate can still edit it.
Is this on by default?
No. It's controlled by the CandidateRecordingDecision:opt-in-link feature flag and only active for orgs where it's been enabled.
Do candidates in the opt-in link flow get the standard opt-out notification emails?
No. Interviews in the opt-in link paradigm are excluded from the standard candidate opt-out emails to avoid confusing messaging.