BCC in Email | Definition & Tips
Bcc, or “blind carbon copy,” is a way to send an email to someone without other recipients seeing. The bcc’d recipient(s) will be able to see anyone in the “to” and “cc” fields, but only the sender can see who has been bcc’d. Anyone bcc’d on an email will not be included in “reply all” messages.
There are different ways to send someone an email, which are summarized in the following table.
| Field | Visible to other recipients | Included in “reply all” |
|---|---|---|
| To | ||
| Cc | ||
| Bcc |
What does bcc mean in an email?
Bcc is a way to send someone an email while keeping their address hidden from other recipients. When you send someone an email using the “to” or “cc” fields, this information is visible to any other recipients. However, if you add someone’s email to the “bcc” field, no one else can see that they received this message.
In addition to being hidden from other recipients, someone bcc’d in an email will not be included in any “reply all” responses. However, a bcc’d recipient can use “reply all,” and their response will go to everyone in the “to” and “cc” fields, revealing their involvement in the original conversation.
Bcc vs cc
The “bcc” and “cc” fields in an email sound similar, but they serve very different functions. Someone cc’d in an email will be visible to all other recipients, whereas someone who is bcc’d will not. Additionally, someone cc’d will be included in any “reply all” messages; someone bcc’d will not.
You should cc someone when you want them to stay informed but don’t expect them to reply. The use cases for bcc are slightly different.
When you should use bcc
The “bcc” field can be helpful when you don’t want someone’s email address visible to other people or to avoid including everyone in “reply all” messages. You might want to use bcc in the following circumstances:
- When you’re sending the same email to a large number of people. If you’re distributing an email to lots of people (for example, a newsletter, mailing list, or event invitation), you may want to bcc all recipients. This will not only keep everyone’s email addresses private but also prevent someone from accidentally using “reply all” to respond to the entire group instead of just you.
- To politely remove someone from an email thread. For example, after a colleague introduces you to a new connection, you can reply to everyone but move your colleague to bcc in your response. This acknowledges their introduction but saves them from being included in future messages with this new person. For transparency, include a note like “Moving [colleague’s name] to bcc” in your message.
- To keep someone informed without involving them in a conversation. When you want someone to know that you’ve sent an email but don’t need their active participation in the conversation, bcc is ideal. For example, if your boss asks you to connect with a new client, bccing your boss on the first email lets them know the email has been sent but courteously excludes them from the subsequent conversation.
When not to use bcc
Although bcc has many valid use cases, it’s important not to use this email feature maliciously. You should never use bcc to let someone eavesdrop on a conversation, to get someone else in trouble, or to share confidential information with someone without other recipients knowing.
Particular care should be taken when using bcc in a legal or professional setting. Always be sure to prioritize transparency and honesty in your communication.
How to bcc someone
Although the exact way to use bcc will change depending on the email platform you are using, the following steps will generally remain the same.
- Locate the “bcc” field: The “bcc” field is usually located beside or below the “to” field when you’re drafting a new email.
- Add recipients to the “bcc” field: Manually enter or copy and paste the email addresses of anyone you’d like to bcc into the “bcc” field.
- Add any other recipients (optional): If you would like to include anyone in the “to” or “cc” fields, you can add them to the appropriate field.
Draft and send your email: Once you’ve added all recipients, you can write your email and send it! Alternatively, you can draft your email and add recipients once it’s ready to send.
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Frequently asked questions about bcc in emails
- What does bcc stand for?
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Bcc stands for “blind carbon copy.” The term dates back to when people would create carbon copies of paper letters by placing a sheet of carbon paper underneath the paper they were writing on.
When you’re writing emails, whether you bcc someone or not, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you instantly find and fix typos.
- What’s the difference between bcc and cc?
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Bcc and cc are both ways to attach someone to an email. Someone who is cc’d on an email is visible to all other recipients, whereas someone who is bcc’d is not visible to anyone.
Someone who is cc’d is also included in “reply all” emails; someone who is bcc’d is not.
Worried about writing error-free emails? QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you identify and correct typos before you press send.
- Can bcc recipients see each other?
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People who are bcc’d cannot see each other—their emails are hidden from anyone else who received the email. Only the original sender can see who included in bcc in an email.
When you’re writing an email, you should keep it concise and to-the-point. QuillBot’s AI-powered Summarizer tool can help you simplify text and summarize key points instantly.
- Can you see who is bcc’d in an email?
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There is no way to see who has been bcc’d in an email. Only the person who originally sent the email will know who was bcc’d.
However, if someone who is bcc’d “replies all” to an email, it will be sent to anyone in the “To” and “Cc” fields.
If you’re sending an email to a large group of people (bcc’d or not), you want to ensure that your writing is error free. Try QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker to effortlessly find and correct typos.
- Is it bcc’d or bcc’ed?
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According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the correct simple past tense form of “bcc” is “bcc’d” (e.g., “Because she bcc’d me, no one else knew that I received the email.”).
The correct present participle is “bccing” (e.g., “I find that bccing is a good way to maintain privacy when sending the same email to a large number of people.”).
To save yourself from looking up the correct spelling of a word, try QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker to instantly identify and correct writing errors.
