What’s the difference between Cc and Bcc?
Cc (Carbon Copy) adds visible recipients: every recipient sees who else got the message. Bcc (Blind Carbon Copy) adds hidden recipients: each Bcc recipient cannot see the others, and the To/Cc recipients don’t even know they got the message.
When to use Cc: keeping a manager in the loop, informing a team, transparency in an exchange. When to use Bcc: mass sending (newsletter), protecting recipient privacy, confidential communication between third parties.
Although we are numerous and numerous to exchange dozens of e-mails every day, or more, some points are still fuzzy. When you send an email, the field “To” allows you to send the message directly to the person concerned. But what about the scores “Cc” and “Cci“? What is their meaning, and what are they for? It is up to these questions that we are trying to respond in this article.
What does the Cc and Cci fields mean?
The Cc and Cci fields make it possible to include in the email other recipients in addition to the principal registered in the “To” field, which is intended for the person directly concerned by the email.
Cc: carbon copy
It refers to the people you want to copy so that they can follow what is happening and what is said in the exchange of emails between the issuer and the main recipient (field “To“). People in the “Cc” field have visibility on email addresses as on trade, but do not usually need action.
Example: You send a brief to your communication team, and you want the service manager to be kept informed of what is said as well as the evolution of the work.
Cci: invisible carbon copy
It refers to the recipients you want to put in Hidden Copy. Operation is therefore the same as for carbon copy, except that the persons filled in the fields “To” and “Cc” do not see the one that is copied because all addresses listed in the “Cci” field are hidden. This allows to maintain a certain confidentiality.
Example: You send a proposal to different customers, and you do not want the said customers to realize that they are not alone in receiving this proposal. In this case, it will be necessary to place them in Cci.
When to use Cc and Cci fields?
The case of the “Cc” field is particularly and sometimes divides, in the sense that ultimately, it is enough to place the different recipients in the field “To”. However, let’s say that the “Cc” field is more than a question of principle, label or courtesy if you want. If we respect this rule, the “To” part is reserved for the main recipient (there may be several), the person with whom we interact directly. The “Cc” part allows others to have a copy of the email, and it has a goal of information or observation than exchange.
For the “Cci” field, its use is more precise. It can be used so that the main recipient paths other people included in the loop, but also in the case of sending mail to a more or less large list of people.
Good to know
- Obviously, if it is a question of sending emailing to your mailing list, do not make it directly from your email app, but rather call a specialized platform. This will allow you to automate and optimize your newsletter, while offering you many specific options that you will not have on a simple mailbox.
- It is not possible to use only the “Cc” and “Cci” fields, you must specify a primary recipient in your email. Know however, to get around that, you can always indicate your own email address in the “To” field.
- If any of the recipients uses the “Reply to All” option, its response message will only be sent to “To” and “Cc” fields as “Cci” field contacts are masked.
Now that you know what the “Cc” and “Cci” fields are used, you can use them correctly and follow the best practices for sending emails.
Cc vs Bcc comparison table
| Cc (Carbon Copy) | Bcc (Blind Carbon Copy) | |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility | All recipients see each other | Recipients hidden from each other |
| Transparency | Maximum | None |
| Typical use case | Looping in a manager or team | Newsletter, mass sending |
| GDPR risk | Limited (recipients known to each other) | High if Cc is misused instead of Bcc |
| Reply All | Includes all Cc recipients | Excludes Bcc recipients |
When to use Cc and Bcc at work? 3 concrete cases
Case 1: Looping in a manager — Cc
You’re emailing a client and want your manager informed without active participation. Put them in Cc: the client sees they’re copied, signaling transparency and engaging the manager if needed.
Case 2: Sending to 200 recipients — Bcc
You’re sending a communication to all your customers from your inbox (without a dedicated emailing tool). Put all recipients in Bcc to comply with privacy law: otherwise, every recipient sees everyone else’s email address — that’s a personal data breach.
Case 3: Introducing two people — To + Cc
You want to introduce a vendor to a client. Put both in “To” (or one in To and the other in Cc), make a clear introduction, and add “I’ll let you continue the conversation directly, moving myself to Bcc going forward” to step out of the thread.
The most expensive Cc/Bcc mistake in business
Putting 200 customers in Cc instead of Bcc in a mass send is one of the most frequent data breaches in business email. Every recipient sees everyone else’s email, which is a direct privacy violation. The CNIL (France), ICO (UK), and FTC (US) have issued fines for this kind of error, ranging from a few thousand to tens of thousands of euros / dollars depending on the list size.
Best practice: for any send to more than 5 recipients, use a dedicated email marketing tool (Mailchimp, Brevo, Loops…) or systematically put recipients in Bcc with your own address in To. Before sending a campaign, check address validity with the CaptainVerify email checker to avoid bounces and protect your sender reputation.
Frequently asked questions
What do Cc and Bcc stand for?
Cc means “Carbon Copy”. Bcc means “Blind Carbon Copy”. Both add recipients to an email, but Cc makes them visible while Bcc hides them.
Bcc or Cc for a newsletter?
Always Bcc for a newsletter sent from a standard inbox. Putting recipients in Cc constitutes a privacy violation since each one sees everyone else’s emails.
Do Bcc recipients see the others?
No. Each person in Bcc only sees their own address and the sender’s. They don’t see other Bcc, Cc, or To recipients (depending on the email client).
Can I Reply All when I’m in Bcc?
Yes technically, but your Bcc address will then be revealed to all recipients of the reply. This is a frequent mistake that accidentally exposes your Bcc presence.
