What does BCC stand for in an email? BCC stands for Blind Carbon Copy. CC stands for Carbon Copy. Both let you send emails to multiple recipients, but BCC hides recipient addresses from each other, while CC shows them.
Misusing these fields can lead to privacy violations, damaged professional relationships, and embarrassing reply-all storms. This guide explains what CC and BCC mean, when to use each, and how to avoid common mistakes.
Where do the terms CC and BCC come from?
Before email existed, people made copies of typed documents using carbon paper – a thin sheet placed between two pieces of paper that transferred ink to create a duplicate. The person receiving the original was the primary recipient, while anyone receiving a carbon copy got a duplicate for their records.
Email adopted this terminology. CC (Carbon Copy) sends a visible copy to additional recipients. BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) sends a hidden copy. The "blind" means other recipients can't see who received it.
What does CC mean in email?
CC stands for Carbon Copy. It lets you send a copy of an email to additional recipients beyond the primary recipient in the "To" field.
Everyone on the email, including those in the To, CC, and BCC fields, can see who's CCd. This transparency is the defining feature of CC: all recipients know exactly who else received the message.
When you CC someone, you're signaling:
- They should be aware of this conversation
- You don't necessarily need them to respond
- Other recipients should know they're in the loop
Example: You're updating a client on project progress and want your manager to stay informed. Put the client in "To" and your manager in "CC." The client sees that your manager is copied, which signals organizational transparency.
What does BCC mean in email?
BCC stands for Blind Carbon Copy. It works like CC, but with one key difference: BCC recipients are completely hidden from everyone else on the email.
When you BCC someone, they receive the email, but other recipients can't see their address. BCC recipients also can't see other BCC recipients. Only the sender knows who was BCC'd.
When you BCC someone, you're:
- Protecting their email address from other recipients
- Keeping the recipient list private
- Preventing reply-all chains in large group emails
Example: You're sending a company announcement to 200 employees. Using BCC keeps everyone's email address private and prevents the chaos of reply-all responses flooding everyone's inbox.
Now that you understand what does it mean cc in email and how it differs from BCC, here's how to use both features in the most popular email clients.
How to CC and BCC in different email clients
Gmail
- Click Compose to start a new email
- Click Cc or Bcc on the right side of the "To" field
- Enter recipient email addresses in the appropriate field
- Compose your message and click Send
Outlook
- Click New Email to compose a message
- Click Cc or Bcc in the ribbon (if BCC isn't visible, go to Options > Show Bcc)
- Add recipients to the appropriate fields
- Write your message and click Send
Apple Mail
- Click the Compose button to start a new message
- Click the Cc/Bcc field header to expand both fields
- Enter recipients in either field
- Complete your email and click Send
Superhuman Mail
In Superhuman Mail, use keyboard shortcuts for speed:
- Cmd+Shift+C to add CC recipients
- Cmd+Shift+B to add BCC recipients
For more keyboard shortcuts that save time, see our guide on email productivity.
CC vs BCC: Key differences
Use CC when: You want transparency, and recipients should know who else received the email.
Use BCC when: You need to protect recipient privacy or prevent reply-all storms.
When to use CC
Keep stakeholders informed: Your manager asks to stay updated on a client project. CC them on relevant client emails so they have visibility without you writing separate updates. This creates transparency and saves time.
Document decisions: When finalizing a contract, CC the legal team and finance department. Everyone has a record of what was agreed, and there's no ambiguity about who was informed.
Introduce people: When connecting two contacts, CC both parties in your introduction email. They can see each other's addresses and continue the conversation directly. For proper introduction etiquette, see our guide on writing effective emails.
Cross-team collaboration: Working with multiple departments on a launch? CC the key stakeholder from each team so everyone sees the same information and knows who's involved.
Follow-up accountability: After a meeting, send action items and CC all attendees. Everyone knows who's responsible for what, and there's a clear record.
When to use BCC
Mass announcements: Sending a newsletter, company update, or event invitation to a large group? Always use BCC. This protects everyone's email addresses and prevents reply-all chaos.
External group emails: Emailing multiple clients, vendors, or partners who don't know each other? Use BCC to keep their contact information private. Exposing client emails to each other without consent can damage trust and may violate privacy regulations.
Removing yourself from threads: Someone introduced you via email? After thanking the introducer, move them to BCC on your reply. This spares them from the ongoing conversation. Superhuman Mail's Instant Intro feature handles this automatically.
Self-archiving: BCC yourself on important emails to keep a copy in your inbox. This is especially useful for emails sent from shared accounts or when you need easy access to sent messages.
Sensitive communications: When emailing a support group, medical patients, or any group where membership itself is private information, BCC protects everyone's identity.
When not to use CC
Passive-aggressive pressure: Don't CC someone's manager to pressure them into responding or to create a paper trail of blame. This damages trust and professional relationships.
Sensitive information: If the content is confidential, don't CC people who don't have explicit authorization to see it. Consider whether email is even the right channel for highly sensitive communications.
Large external groups: Never CC a long list of people who don't know each other. Their email addresses become visible to everyone, which violates privacy and may breach GDPR or other regulations.
Unnecessary updates: Before CCing anyone, ask: do they genuinely need this information? The average professional receives 121 emails daily. Don't add to inbox overload.
When not to use BCC
Secret surveillance: Never use BCC to covertly include your manager, HR, or anyone else in conversations. If discovered, this destroys trust and may violate workplace policies.
Deceiving recipients: BCC shouldn't be used to hide who's really receiving your message when that information would affect how recipients respond.
Small group transparency: If you're emailing a small team where everyone knows each other and should see who's included, use CC instead for transparency.
Common CC and BCC mistakes
Using CC instead of BCC for large groups
This is the most expensive mistake. When you CC a large group, you expose everyone's email addresses to each other.
In 2021, healthcare company One Medical exposed nearly 1,000 emails by putting them in the CC field instead of BCC. In 2020, Sonos made the same mistake with 450 customer addresses, turning a routine customer service email into a privacy incident that made national headlines.
Rule: If you're emailing more than 10 people who don't all know each other, use BCC.
Reply-all accidents
When a BCC recipient hits "Reply All," their hidden status is instantly revealed to everyone. Warn BCC recipients not to use reply-all, or include clear instructions: "Please reply only to me."
Over-CCing everyone
Adding your entire team to every email creates noise and dilutes important messages. Be selective.
For tips on managing email volume, see our guide on Inbox Zero.
Legal and privacy considerations
Email addresses are personal data under privacy laws like CCPA and HIPAA. Exposing them without consent can constitute a data breach.
Key compliance points:
- Use BCC for any external mass communication
- Never CC recipients whose addresses you don't have permission to share
- Healthcare organizations must use BCC when emailing multiple patients (HIPAA)
- Financial services have specific retention requirements for CCd communications
CC and BCC best practices
Be selective with CC: Only include people who genuinely need the information. Use "To" for action-takers, "CC" for those who need awareness only.
Write clear subject lines: Help recipients, especially BCC recipients, immediately understand the email's purpose and urgency.
State expectations explicitly: When CCing someone, clarify in the email body whether you need their input or are sharing for information only.
Use the right tools: Features like Superhuman Mail's Split Inbox automatically categorize emails where you're CCd versus directly addressed, helping you prioritize.
For more on professional email communication, see our guides on email etiquette and group emailing.
The bottom line on CC vs BCC
CC and BCC serve different purposes: CC creates transparency, BCC protects privacy.
Use CC to keep stakeholders informed when visibility matters. Use BCC to protect recipient addresses in large group emails and prevent reply-all storms.
The key rules: never expose email addresses unnecessarily, don't use BCC for surveillance, and always consider whether each recipient genuinely needs your email.
Superhuman Mail makes managing CC and BCC effortless with keyboard shortcuts, automatic email categorization, and features like Instant Intro. Teams save 4 hours per week and respond 12 hours faster.
Frequently asked questions
Can CC recipients see BCC recipients?
No. BCC recipients are invisible to everyone, including CC recipients. Only the sender knows who was BCC'd.
What happens if a BCC recipient replies all?
Their hidden status is revealed. All recipients will see their response and email address. Always warn BCC recipients to reply only to you.
Is it unprofessional to BCC?
No – when used appropriately. BCC is professional for protecting privacy in mass emails, self-archiving, or removing yourself from introduction threads. It's unprofessional when used to secretly monitor conversations.
Does using CC instead of BCC violate GDPR?
It can. Email addresses are personal data under GDPR. Exposing them to unauthorized recipients without consent may constitute a data breach.
Should I reply-all when I'm CCd?
Only if your response is relevant to everyone on the thread. Avoid reply-all for simple acknowledgments like "Thanks!" or "Got it!"
What's the difference between To, CC, and BCC?
To is for primary recipients who need to take action. CC is for people who should be aware but don't need to act. BCC is for hidden recipients whose addresses you want to protect from other recipients.
