# Automatic Re-recording

Over time, your cassettes may get out-of-date. APIs change and sites you scrape get updated. VCR provides a facility to automatically re-record your cassettes. Enable re-recording using the `:re_record_interval` option.

The value provided should be an interval (expressed in seconds) that determines how often VCR will re-record the cassette. When a cassette is used, VCR checks the earliest `recorded_at` timestamp in the cassette; if more time than the interval has passed since that timestamp, VCR will use the `:all` record mode to cause it be re-recorded.

## Background

*Given* a previously recorded cassette file "cassettes/example.yml" with:

```
--- 
http_interactions: 
- request: 
    method: get
    uri: http://localhost/
    body: 
      encoding: UTF-8
      string: ""
    headers: {}
  response: 
    status: 
      code: 200
      message: OK
    headers: 
      Content-Length: 
      - "12"
    body: 
      encoding: UTF-8
      string: Old Response
    http_version: "1.1"
  recorded_at: Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:58:44 GMT
recorded_with: VCR 2.0.0
```

*And* a file named "re\_record.rb" with:

```ruby
$server = start_sinatra_app do
  get('/') { 'New Response' }
end

require 'vcr'

VCR.configure do |c|
  c.hook_into :webmock
  c.cassette_library_dir = 'cassettes'
end

VCR.use_cassette('example', :re_record_interval => 7.days, :match_requests_on => [:method, :host, :path]) do
  puts Net::HTTP.get_response('localhost', '/', $server.port).body
end
```

## Cassette is not re-recorded when not enough time has passed

*Given* it is Tue, 07 Nov 2011

*When* I run `ruby re_record.rb`

*Then* the output should contain "Old Response"

*But* the output should not contain "New Response"

*And* the file "cassettes/example.yml" should contain "Old Response"

*But* the file "cassettes/example.yml" should not contain "New Response".

## Cassette is re-recorded when enough time has passed

*Given* it is Tue, 09 Nov 2011

*When* I run `ruby re_record.rb`

*Then* the output should contain "New Response"

*But* the output should not contain "Old Response"

*And* the file "cassettes/example.yml" should contain "New Response"

*But* the file "cassettes/example.yml" should not contain "Old Response".


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://benoit-tigeot.gitbook.io/vcr/cassettes/automatic-re-recording.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.