[Config Support]: How to keep all video from X number past days, along with detections

[adoucette]

Describe the problem you are having

THANK YOU for providing Frigate. It's been a great addition to our HAOS, and it's awesome it can utilize Coral and inference models.
I'm struggling to figure out how to keep all video from X prior days. Frigate is keeping events, and I see those when I review in the GUI, but I'm not seeing the continuous video recordings from the past X days.
Where am I going wrong?
Thanks in advance,
Ari

Here's the relevant part of my config:

Version

0.16.4-4131252

Frigate config file

mqtt:
  host: 10.11.30.30
  user: [redacted]
  password: [redacted]
  topic_prefix: frigate
  client_id: frigate
detectors:
  coral:
    type: edgetpu
    device: pci:0
logger:
  default: info
environment_vars:
  LIBVA_DRIVER_NAME: i965
birdseye:
  enabled: true
  width: 1280
  height: 720
  quality: 8
  mode: continuous
ffmpeg:
  hwaccel_args: preset-vaapi
go2rtc:
  streams:
    front_doorbell_high:
      - rtsp://admin:[pw-redacted]@10.11.30.100:554/cam/realmonitor?channel=1&subtype=0&unicast=true&proto=Onvif
    front_doorbell_low:
      - rtsp://admin:[pw-redacted]@10.11.30.100:554/cam/realmonitor?channel=1&subtype=1&unicast=true&proto=Onvif
    shed_high:
      - rtsp://admin:[pw-redacted]@10.11.30.103:554/cam/realmonitor?channel=1&subtype=0&unicast=true&proto=Onvif
    shed_low:
      - rtsp://admin:[pw-redacted]@10.11.30.103:554/cam/realmonitor?channel=1&subtype=1&unicast=true&proto=Onvif
    driveway_high:
      - rtsp://admin:[pw-redacted]@10.11.30.104:554/cam/realmonitor?channel=1&subtype=0&unicast=true&proto=Onvif
    driveway_low:
      - rtsp://admin:[pw-redacted]@10.11.30.104:554/cam/realmonitor?channel=1&subtype=1&unicast=true&proto=Onvif
    sideyard_high:
      - rtsp://admin:[pw-redacted]@10.11.30.102:554/cam/realmonitor?channel=1&subtype=0&unicast=true&proto=Onvif
    sideyard_low:
      - rtsp://admin:[pw-redacted]@10.11.30.102:554/cam/realmonitor?channel=1&subtype=1&unicast=true&proto=Onvif
    street_high:
      - rtsp://admin:[pw-redacted]@10.11.30.101:554/cam/realmonitor?channel=1&subtype=0&unicast=true&proto=Onvif
    street_low:
      - rtsp://admin:[pw-redacted]@10.11.30.101:554/cam/realmonitor?channel=1&subtype=1&unicast=true&proto=Onvif
  restream:
    enabled: true
    force_audio: false
cameras:
  front_doorbell:
    ffmpeg:
      output_args:
        record: preset-record-generic-audio-copy
      inputs:
        - path: rtsp://127.0.0.1:8554/front_doorbell_high 
          input_args: preset-rtsp-restream
          roles:
            - record
        - path: rtsp://127.0.0.1:8554/front_doorbell_low 
          input_args: preset-rtsp-restream
          roles:
            - detect
    detect:
      width: 720
      height: 576
      fps: 5
    live:
      streams:
        front_doorbell_high: front_doorbell_high
    motion:
      mask: 0.687,0.039,1,0.044,1,0,0.689,-0.002
  shed:
    ffmpeg:
      output_args:
        record: preset-record-generic-audio-copy
      inputs:
        - path: rtsp://127.0.0.1:8554/shed_high
          input_args: preset-rtsp-restream
          roles:
            - record
        - path: rtsp://127.0.0.1:8554/shed_low
          input_args: preset-rtsp-restream
          roles:
            - detect
    detect:
      width: 704
      height: 480
      fps: 5
    live:
      streams:
        shed_high: shed_high
    motion:
      mask: 0.728,0.029,0.987,0.031,0.987,0.092,0.728,0.081
  driveway:
    ffmpeg:
      output_args:
        record: preset-record-generic-audio-copy
      inputs:
        - path: rtsp://127.0.0.1:8554/driveway_high
          input_args: preset-rtsp-restream
          roles:
            - record
        - path: rtsp://127.0.0.1:8554/driveway_low
          input_args: preset-rtsp-restream
          roles:
            - detect
    detect:
      width: 704
      height: 480
      fps: 5
    live:
      streams:
        driveway_high: driveway_high
    motion:
      mask: 0.733,0.031,0.976,0.03,0.976,0.084,0.73,0.077
  sideyard:
    ffmpeg:
      output_args:
        record: preset-record-generic-audio-copy
      inputs:
        - path: rtsp://127.0.0.1:8554/sideyard_high
          input_args: preset-rtsp-restream
          roles:
            - record
        - path: rtsp://127.0.0.1:8554/sideyard_low
          input_args: preset-rtsp-restream
          roles:
            - detect
    detect:
      width: 704
      height: 480
      fps: 5
    live:
      streams:
        sideyard_high: sideyard_high
    motion:
      mask: 0.725,0.031,0.977,0.029,0.979,0.086,0.73,0.081
  street:
    ffmpeg:
      output_args:
        record: preset-record-generic-audio-copy
      inputs:
        - path: rtsp://127.0.0.1:8554/street_high
          input_args: preset-rtsp-restream
          roles:
            - record
        - path: rtsp://127.0.0.1:8554/street_low
          input_args: preset-rtsp-restream
          roles:
            - detect
    detect:
      width: 704
      height: 480
      fps: 5
    live:
      streams:
        street_high: street_high
    motion:
      mask: 0.727,0.037,0.976,0.028,0.976,0.095,0.73,0.081
record:
  enabled: true
  expire_interval: 60
  retain:
    days: 2
    mode: all
  alerts:
    retain:
      days: 15
    pre_capture: 3
    post_capture: 3
  detections:
    retain:
      days: 15
    pre_capture: 3
    post_capture: 3
snapshots:
  enabled: true
  clean_copy: true
  timestamp: true
  bounding_box: false
  crop: false
  required_zones: []
  retain:
    default: 15
    objects:
      person: 15
version: 0.16-0
detect:
  enabled: true

Relevant Frigate log output

n/a

Relevant go2rtc log output

n/a

Frigate stats

No response

Operating system

Home Assistant OS

Install method

Home Assistant Add-on

docker-compose file or Docker CLI command

n/a

Object Detector

Coral

Screenshots of the Frigate UI's System metrics pages

No response

Any other information that may be helpful

No response

[inkeep-ai-assistant[bot]]

Your configuration looks correct for retaining all continuous recordings for 2 days along with detection recordings for 15 days(1)(2).

Based on your config, Frigate should be:

• Keeping all recording segments for 2 days (due to retain: days: 2 and mode: all)(1)(2)
• Keeping detection recordings for 15 days(1)(2)
• Keeping alert recordings for 15 days(1)(2)

To verify recordings are being saved, check:

1. Ensure recordings are enabled at the camera level - Your global record: enabled: true should apply to all cameras, but verify no camera has enabled: False in its individual config(1)(2)

2. Check your storage - Navigate to the Frigate UI System page to verify you have sufficient disk space and that recordings are actually being written(3)

3. Verify the record role - Ensure your camera has an input stream with the record role assigned. Frigate saves from the stream with the record role in 10 second segments(1)(2)

Your configuration should look like this at the camera level:

cameras:
  your_camera_name:
    ffmpeg:
      inputs:
        - path: rtsp://your_camera_path
          roles:
            - detect
            - record  # Make sure this is present

(2)

If recordings still aren't appearing, verify that:

• The record role is assigned to at least one input stream for each camera(2)
• You have sufficient storage space available(3)
• Check the Frigate logs for any errors related to recording

📚 Sources:

1. Recording
2. Full Reference Config
3. Planning a New Installation

---

Have another question? Just tag @inkeep.

[hawkeye217]

This is actually somewhat confusing in Frigate 0.16, which is why recording retention has been improved in Frigate 0.17 (currently in release candidate status) to be fully tiered. In 0.17, you can do something like this:

record:
  enabled: True
  continuous:
    days: 3
  motion:
    days: 7
  alerts:
    retain:
      days: 30
      mode: all
  detections:
    retain:
      days: 30
      mode: all

For users deploying Frigate in environments where it is important to have contiguous video stored even if there was no detectable motion, the following config will store all video for 3 days. After 3 days, only video containing motion will be saved for 7 days. After 7 days, only video containing motion and overlapping with alerts or detections will be retained until 30 days have passed.

See the dev docs for more examples: https://docs-dev.frigate.video/configuration/record/

[adoucette]

@inkeep I've updated the OP to show the full config. Cameras were already set to record as you suggested. What's next?

[adoucette]

@hawkeye217 I'll try what you indicated in a few minutes

[inkeep-ai-assistant[bot]]

Your configuration for Frigate 0.16.4 is set up correctly for continuous recording with mode: all and days: 2(1). Since your cameras already have the record role assigned to the high-resolution streams, the next troubleshooting steps are:

Check the recordings directory structure:

Recordings are stored at /media/frigate/recordings with the folder structure YYYY-MM-DD/HH/<camera_name>/MM.SS.mp4 in UTC time(1). Verify that:

• The /media/frigate/recordings directory exists and has recordings
• Each camera has its own subdirectory with dated folders
• The recordings are being written continuously, not just during events

Verify storage and retention:

As of Frigate 0.12, if there is less than an hour left of storage, the oldest 2 hours of recordings will be deleted(1). Check your System metrics page to ensure:

• You have sufficient disk space available
• Storage isn't being automatically cleaned due to low space
• The expire_interval: 60 setting is allowing proper cleanup cycles

Understand retention behavior:

Frigate chooses the largest matching retention value between the recording retention and the tracked object retention when determining if a recording should be removed(1). With your config:

• Base recordings (mode: all): 2 days
• Alert recordings: 15 days
• Detection recordings: 15 days

This means segments with alerts/detections will be kept for 15 days, while all other continuous footage will be kept for 2 days(1).

Note about Frigate 0.17:

As mentioned by @hawkeye217, Frigate 0.17 (currently in release candidate status) introduces improved tiered retention that makes this configuration clearer and more flexible. If continuous recording visibility continues to be an issue in 0.16, you may want to consider upgrading to 0.17 when it's released.

📚 Sources:

1. Recording

---

Have another question? Just tag @inkeep.