Amazon Transcribe can filter configured words in streaming transcripts. Create a custom vocabulary filter, attach it to the streaming transcription request, and choose whether matches are masked, removed, or tagged. It filters words on your list; it is not a complete profanity detector and does not censor the audio itself.
What Amazon Transcribe’s profanity filter does
AWS describes offensive or profane terms as a common use case for custom vocabulary filters. The filter matches configured words in transcription results and applies the behavior you select. It can be used with streaming transcription as well as batch transcription. See AWS’s custom vocabulary filter guide.
This is transcript-word filtering, not a system for deciding whether all speech violates a platform’s rules. AWS notes that Transcribe converts speech to text and can return inappropriate speech verbatim; a filter is a control applied to transcript results, not a guarantee that a live stream is safe.
Choose what happens to a matched word
| Method | Effect on the transcript | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
mask |
Replaces the matched word with ***. |
You want captions to conceal the word but show that something was filtered. |
remove |
Deletes the matched word. | You want the returned transcript to omit it entirely. |
tag |
Leaves the word in the transcript and marks it as a filter match. | A later moderation or review step will decide how to handle it. Tagging alone does not hide the word from viewers. |
These behaviors are documented in the AWS filter guide and the StartStreamTranscription API reference.
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Set up a vocabulary filter for live transcription
- Define the moderation list. Decide which words your policy should filter and which spoken language or languages the stream uses. Build a custom list for that policy; do not assume a general profanity lexicon covers every expression or spelling. AWS supports creating a vocabulary filter from words or a text file in its custom vocabulary filter workflow.
- Create the filter for the relevant language. Use the language intended for the audio and confirm that streaming vocabulary filtering is available for it. AWS warns that a filter with a mismatched language may not apply. Language and feature support can vary, so check the current supported languages table for your chosen region and workflow.
- Start a streaming transcription session. Use the
StartStreamTranscriptionoperation through an AWS SDK, HTTP/2, or WebSockets. AWS recommends SDKs as the simpler, more reliable setup path. The request must specify the language configuration, media encoding, and actual audio sample rate, as well as the vocabulary filter name and selected filter method. Consult the API reference for exact request parameters and rules, including the vocabulary-filter parameters when using language identification. - Send supported audio. Streaming input formats include FLAC, OPUS in an Ogg container, and signed 16-bit little-endian PCM. AWS recommends lossless FLAC or PCM. Set the sample rate to match the audio actually being sent; a mismatched value can cause problems. WAV is not listed as a streaming encoding in the streaming guide.
- Handle result events according to their status. Transcribe emits partial results while speech is ongoing, and can revise words as more context arrives. Treat partial text as provisional; use finalized segment results for durable captions or transcript records. If you enable partial-result stabilization to reduce revisions and latency, test its accuracy trade-off for your use case. See AWS’s streaming and partial results guide.
- Apply the chosen behavior in your caption or moderation flow. Render masked or removed output as intended. If you choose
tag, ensure a downstream step acts on the tag before displaying the unaltered word to viewers.
What the filter can miss—and what it does not do
The filter uses exact matches from the configured list. Unlisted terms, different spellings or inflections, obfuscations, homophones, and speech-recognition errors may not match as intended; those are practical consequences of exact-word filtering, not performance guarantees from AWS. Review the list against your content, languages, and moderation policy, then maintain a separate process for cases the list cannot cover.
AWS also describes a default filter for certain sensitive terms, but says customers should review and supplement coverage for their language and use case. Do not treat it as a universal profanity policy. The distinction between transcription and filtering is explained in AWS’s Responsible AI documentation.
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Profanity filtering is also different from PII redaction. The API’s content redaction and identification options concern personally identifiable information; they do not replace a vocabulary filter for swear words. See the streaming API reference for those separate options.
Latency, language, and integration choices
Known language or language identification
If the stream language is known, configure it directly and use a filter for that language. If you use language identification, follow the API’s specific vocabulary-filter parameter rules rather than assuming a filter can be attached in the same way in every request. Verify that both streaming and filtering support are available for the language and region in the AWS supported languages table.
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Partial-result speed or stability
Partial-result stabilization can make interim text arrive with fewer revisions, but AWS documents a possible accuracy trade-off: lower stability favors accuracy, while higher stability returns results faster with slightly lower accuracy. AWS does not establish a universal numeric latency or error rate for this choice. Test it with your audio and captioning requirements instead of promising a fixed response time.
SDK or lower-level transport
You can stream through AWS SDKs, HTTP/2, or WebSockets; the AWS Management Console also offers a streaming walkthrough using a computer microphone. AWS recommends SDKs for a simpler and more reliable direct integration. A separate USB microphone is optional, not a Transcribe requirement. The streaming guide covers formats and interfaces, while the setup guide explains the SDK route.
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Troubleshooting common problems
- A configured word is not filtered: Check that the vocabulary filter name and filter method are present in the streaming request, that the filter contains the spelling Transcribe recognized, and that its language matches the audio.
- The filter works inconsistently across languages: Use an appropriate filter for the spoken language and confirm current feature support in the AWS language table. Do not infer support for one language from another.
- Captions briefly show a word before it changes: Your application may be displaying a partial result. Treat interim events as revisable and use finalized results for stable transcript output; if needed, evaluate partial-result stabilization.
- Streaming fails or audio is misrecognized: Verify that the encoding is one of the supported streaming formats, that the sample rate matches the incoming audio, and that the request follows the API’s language and transport requirements. Prefer lossless FLAC or PCM where practical.
- A tagged word remains visible: That is expected:
tagmarks a match but leaves the word intact. Usemaskorremovefor direct transcript concealment, or add a downstream step that handles tags before display.
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