When sending an email, the To field is normally used to specify the primary recipient. However, there are situations where you may want to send the same message to multiple recipients.
Most email applications provide two additional fields for this purpose:
- CC (Carbon Copy)
- BCC (Blind Carbon Copy)
Understanding the difference between these fields is important for privacy and professional communication.
Table of Contents
To (Primary Recipient)
The To field contains the main recipient or recipients of the message.
Everyone who receives the email can see the addresses listed in the To field.
Example:
To: [email protected]CC (Carbon Copy)
CC stands for Carbon Copy.
This field is used to send a copy of the message to additional recipients who should be informed about the conversation but are not the primary recipients.
Example
To: [email protected]
CC: [email protected], [email protected]What Recipients Can See
All recipients can see:
- The address in the To field
- All addresses in the CC field
This means everyone knows who received the message.
When to Use CC
Common scenarios include:
- Informing managers about a conversation
- Keeping team members updated
- Sharing information with colleagues who should be aware of the discussion
BCC (Blind Carbon Copy)
BCC stands for Blind Carbon Copy.
Like CC, it sends a copy of the message to additional recipients. However, those recipients remain hidden from everyone else.
Example
To: [email protected]
BCC: [email protected], [email protected]What Recipients Can See
Recipients can see:
- The addresses in the To field
- The addresses in the CC field
Recipients cannot see:
- Any addresses listed in the BCC field
People receiving the email through BCC are invisible to all other recipients.
Comparison
| Feature | CC | BCC |
|---|---|---|
| Sends a copy of the email | Yes | Yes |
| Visible to all recipients | Yes | No |
| Protects recipient privacy | No | Yes |
| Suitable for mass emails | Limited | Yes |
Why Use BCC?
BCC is generally recommended when sending messages to many unrelated recipients because it:
- Protects recipients’ email addresses
- Prevents accidental sharing of contact lists
- Reduces privacy concerns
- Helps comply with data protection requirements
- Prevents unnecessary “Reply All” chains
For example, when sending a newsletter or announcement to multiple customers, BCC is usually the preferred option.
Example
Using CC
To: [email protected]
CC: [email protected], [email protected]All recipients can see all email addresses.
Using BCC
To: [email protected]
BCC: [email protected], [email protected]Customer 2 and Customer 3 receive the email, but their addresses remain hidden from everyone else.
Summary
- CC (Carbon Copy) sends a visible copy of the email to additional recipients.
- BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) sends a hidden copy of the email to additional recipients.
- All recipients can see addresses in the To and CC fields.
- Addresses in the BCC field are hidden from other recipients.
- When sending messages to multiple unrelated recipients, BCC is usually the preferred and more privacy-friendly option.