Have you ever been in an email thread and seen a mysterious cc or bcc next to someone's name?
If you've wondered what they actual mean and when they should be used, then this blog post is for you. We'll be breaking down exactly what the cc and bcc fields mean and how you can use them in your next email.
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CC stands for "carbon copy".
When you cc someone in an email, you’re effectively sending them a copy of the email. The recipient will be able to see that they were cc'd on the email and will also see other recipients who were cc'ed. Also, if you use the 'reply all' function in an email thread, a cc'd recipient receive the corresponding email.
You might use CC when you want to keep someone in the loop on something, but you don't necessarily need or want their direct input. For example, if you're emailing your boss about a project you're working on, you might cc your team members so they're aware of the conversation.
BCC stands for "blind carbon copy".
When you send an email and use the BCC feature, the email addresses you place in the BCC field will not be visible to any of the other recipients of the message. If you use the 'reply all' function in an email thread, a bcc'd recipient will not receive the corresponding email.
The main reason to use BCC is to keep information confidential. For example, let's say you're sending an email to a group of people, but you don't want any of the other recipients to know who else is receiving the message. In this case, you would add all of the email addresses to the BCC field, and none of the other recipients would be able to see them.
BCC can also be useful when you're sending the same message to a large group of people and you don't want your email address to be visible to everyone. In this case, you would add your own email address to the BCC field, and only your address would be visible to all of the other recipients.
There are a few different scenarios in which you might choose to use the CC feature in email.
One common reason to use CC is to keep other people in the loop on a particular conversation. For example, if you're emailing back and forth with a colleague about a project, CC'ing your boss on the thread can help ensure that she's up to date on your progress.
Another reason to use CC is to let someone know that you're thinking of them. For example, if you're emailing a friend about making plans for the weekend, you might CC her sister in case she wants to join in.
You might also use CC as a way to request help from someone. For example, if you're struggling to resolve a customer service issue, CC'ing a company's executive team can help prompt a faster response.
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There are a few different scenarios in which you might choose to use the BCC feature in email.
One common reason to use BCC is to keep someone in the loop on a particular conversation without making it obvious to other recipients. For example, if you're emailing back and forth with a colleague about a sensitive topic, BCC'ing your boss can help ensure that she's aware of the conversation.
Another reason to use BCC is to send a blind carbon copy of an email to someone. This is often used as a courtesy when sending group emails, such as newsletters or announcements. By bcc'ing each recipient, you can avoid disclosing everyone's email addresses to one another.
You might also use BCC to send yourself a copy of an email. This can be a helpful way to keep track of important conversations or to make sure you have a copy of an email for your records.
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There are a few reasons you might choose to use BCC instead of CC when emailing. For one, it can help reduce the chances of your recipients' inboxes getting overloaded with emails. It can also be helpful if you're emailing a large group of people and don't want them to see each other's addresses. Finally, BCC can be a good way to keep your recipients' information private.
If you're unsure whether to use CC or BCC, err on the side of caution and use BCC. That way, you can avoid any potentially embarrassing situations!