What Do The CC and BCC Mean in Email?

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Email is one of the main ways we communicate today. When you send an email, you can include other email addresses besides just the main recipient.

These additional recipients are CC and BCC. But what do they mean and when should you use them?

This article will explain the meaning and uses of CC and BCC and also why they are important in mailing.

What Does CC Mean in Email?

CC stands for “carbon copy” and refers to someone who gets copied on an email message.

When you put an address in the CC field of an email, that person will receive the exact same email that you are sending to the main recipient.

For example, let’s say you are emailing your boss a report. You also want a co-worker to see the email.

You would put your boss’s email address in the “To” field and your co-worker’s address in the “CC” field.

This way, your co-worker gets a copy of the email you sent to your boss.

The CC recipients are visible to all recipients of the email. Everyone can see who got copied on the message.

Their names and email addresses will appear when you open the email.

Why Use CC in Email?

There are a few main reasons to use CC in an email:

To keep people informed. CC allows you to loop in additional parties who may find the email relevant or need to stay in the know. For example, if you email your manager about an upcoming project, you may CC team members working on it to keep them updated.
To provide visibility. By putting someone in CC, you are letting recipients know that person has received the email. This demonstrates they are aware of the contents and included in the conversation.
To share responsibility. Including people in CC implies they also have a stake in the email contents. It signals the issue impacts them too and they may need to take action.
To document transparency. CC can create a paper trail to show who you shared communications with. This transparency helps ensure information flows properly within an organization.

How to Use CC in an Email

Using CC in an email is very simple:

Compose your email as normal and include the primary recipient’s address in the “To” field.
If there are any secondary recipients who need to see the email, add their addresses in the “CC” field. Separate multiple addresses with a comma or semicolon.
Write up the contents of your email and send the message.

The people you CC will now receive an exact copy of the email you sent to the main recipient.

Their names and email addresses will be visible to all recipients.

When writing the email, keep in mind that the CC recipients are intended readers too.

Make sure to include any relevant context and explain acronyms or abbreviations they may not understand.

Only CC people who truly need to see the message. Don’t overuse it or you risk annoying recipients with irrelevant emails.

Also, be careful CCing shared addresses like info@ or sales@, as many people have access to those inboxes.

What Does BCC Mean in Email?

BCC stands for “blind carbon copy.” Like CC, it sends a copy of an email to additional recipients.

However, there is one key difference: the BCC recipients are NOT visible to the other people receiving the email.

When you put an address in BCC, that person gets the message, but their name and email are hidden from the other recipients.

For example, say you email your supervisor about an issue that a co-worker is involved with.

You also want Human Resources to have documentation of the situation.

You would put your supervisor in the To field, the co-worker in CC, and the HR manager in BCC.

Your supervisor and co-worker would see each other listed, but not know HR was included.

Why Use BCC in Email?

There are several reasons you may want to BCC someone on an email:

Confidentiality – To discuss a sensitive issue without exposing all recipients. The BCC keeps some recipients private from others.
Discretion – To send correspondence to someone without the main recipients knowing. Like cc’ing your personal address on work emails.
Privacy – To protect contact information when emailing a group by keeping their addresses private in BCC.
Documentation – To have a record of the email without the other person knowing, like cc’ing yourself.
Testing – To test that an email account or listserv is working properly by sending a message and BCCing yourself.

How to Use BCC in an Email

Using BCC only takes one extra step:

Write your email as normal with the main recipients in To and any regular CC recipients.
Click on the BCC field and type in any email addresses you want to blind copy on the message. These will be kept confidential from the other recipients.
Compose the rest of your email and send the message.

The people you put in BCC will receive the email with all the other recipients hidden.

Their names and email addresses will not appear. Only you as the sender will know the full list of recipients.

Be careful when putting addresses in BCC. Since it’s blind, people won’t realize they’ve been copied on the email.

Make sure you only BCC those who truly need to see the message to avoid confusing recipients.

CC and BCC Email Etiquette

Here are some important etiquette tips when using CC and BCC in emails:

Only CC people who need to take action or stay informed. Don’t bombard inboxes with unnecessary CCs.
Explain why someone is being CCed if the reason is unclear. For example, “I’ve CCed Jane since this impacts her team.”
Use BCC sparingly and ethically. Don’t BCC to gossip or secretly forward inappropriate content.
Avoid excessive use of CC and BCC. If a long list is needed, an email group or mailing list may be better.
With widespread organizational CCs, reply only to the relevant parties rather than all.
Don’t reply just to correct or disagree with a CCed person. Include the broader recipients.
If emailed for awareness, no reply is needed from those just CCed. But respond if action is required.
When replying, edit the CC list to only those needing the update to reduce email clutter.

Following proper etiquette for CC and BCC helps keep your emails clear, relevant, and ethical for all involved.

Conclusion

CC and BCC are useful email features that allow you to copy additional recipients on messages.

CC exposes the recipients to all recipients while BCC secretly copies people without exposing their email address.

Use CC to keep people in the loop and BCC for confidentiality. Following proper etiquette prevents misuse of these features.

Now that you know what CC and BCC mean, you can use them effectively to improve your email communications.

FAQ About CC and BCC

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about using CC and BCC in email:

What's the difference between CC and BCC?

CC recipients are visible to all email recipients. BCC recipients are hidden from others receiving the message.

When should you use CC versus BCC?

Use CC to openly inform and include recipients. Use BCC when you need to copy recipients confidentially without exposing their email addresses.

Is it rude to BCC someone?

It’s generally not rude if used appropriately. But avoid problematic uses of BCC like gossiping or secretly forwarding unethical content.

What happens if I reply to all with BCC recipients?

Replying to all will expose the BCC addresses to everyone. Be careful when replying to emails with BCCs.

Can I use BCC for mass emails?

Yes, BCC is great for one-to-many email campaigns. It protects your list of recipients from being exposed to each other.

Is CC required for replies?

No, CC is optional in replies. Only include those who specifically need the update to reduce email volume.

Do I have to reply to everyone CC'd on an email?

No, you can usually just reply to the sender or main recipients unless action is needed from those CCed.

Can I CC myself on an email?

Yes, CCing yourself is a smart way to document and provide visibility into important communications.