What is CC and BCC in Mail: Meaning and Difference

CC and BCC in mail mean fancy add-ons, and I can safely ignore them. Do you think like this? Trust me, I have been there before and done the same. However, the fact is that Ignoring these fields/features can completely mess up the email threads. CC and BCC are important email function etiquette. This guide will explain CC and BCC in the mail, including their meaning, differences, how they work, and how you can use them.

CC Mail Meaning

CC stands for Carbon Copy. You can see this field in the header of the email. Using this field/feature, you can send a carbon copy of the email to other recipients apart from the primary recipients. In short, you are not required to send additional emails. Whenever you use CC, the recipients in the “To” line can see the email addresses of the recipients included in the CC line and vice versa. Put simply, the CC field in email allows you to keep other recipients in the loop.

Using CC, you can keep the other recipients informed about the conversation, but the email content is not addressed directly to the CC recipients. Therefore, they are not involved in the conversation.

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For example, you want to email the project quotation to the potential client and keep other team members informed about it. In that case, you can add the other team members to the CC. It is a good option because they can see the email thread, but their input is not necessary.

When Should You Use CC?

You can use the CC feature in the mail in the following scenario.

• Whenever you want to share information with certain people but don’t expect/want their immediate response, you should use CC.
• Use CC when you want to do group email, but those people are not your primary audience.
• Whenever you want to introduce two people to each other via email, you can keep both recipients in the CC.

• If maintaining transparency in communication within a team/organisation is your main concern, you can use CC. It will keep everyone on the same page.

Also read: Ten Best Gmail Tips And Tricks That Will Shock You!

What Does BCC in Mail Mean?

BCC in mail mean – Blind Carbon Copy. In BCC, you send the email message to multiple recipients, but the email addresses in the BCC fields are kept hidden from the recipients in the CC field.

The recipients in the CC field are known as primary recipients. On the other hand, recipients in the BCC field are known as secondary recipients. Both the recipients in the CC and the BCC fields receive a similar email message, but the only difference is that the recipients in the BCC field are not revealed to the recipients in the CC.

So, if you want to ensure the privacy of certain people, include them in the BCC field.

For example, you want to inform all of your clients that you are going on a one-week trip and won’t be available in the office. However, you don’t want your clients to see each other’s email addresses. It is the perfect time to utilise the BCC field.

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When to Use BCC in Email?

Here are a few cases in which using BCC is preferred.

• Including the email address in the BCC field might be beneficial whenever you want to keep email addresses private.
• Whenever you send emails to multiple groups/mass audiences, it might happen that recipients hit the Reply All button. At that time, their response will be delivered to all, including recipients in the CC. If you want to prevent this, you can use BCC in your email.
• If you want to send newsletters, you can use BCC because you don’t expect responses in such cases.

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How Can You Use BCC and CC in Email?

Here are the steps you must follow to use BCC/CC in email.

• First, you need to open your preferred email client, such as Microsoft Outlook, Gmail, or Apple Mail.
• After that, click on the email builder to compose the email. You can even revert an existing email.
• After that, find the CC or BCC field that fits your preference and enter the email address. They will be your recipients. If you are sending emails to multiple addresses, you should separate each contact by commas or space. Whom you want to keep the primary recipients, add them to the “To” line.
• Now, craft the email message, review it properly, and ensure all email addresses are valid and in the right field.
• Now, hit the send button.

Also read: What Is My Email Address: Find Your Email ID With These Steps!

BCC Vs CC – Let’s Understand the Difference

Let’s check out the brief breakdown of the BCC Vs CC in the email.

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When Should You Not Use BCC or CC in Email?

Here are a few situations in which you need to think twice before using CC or BCC.

• If you expect a response or want recipients to act, you should avoid using CC or BCC. This is because including them in CC/BCC makes them feel that their response/input is not required.
• Whenever you don’t have people’s consent and you are sending them emails without it, avoid using CC or BCC. It shows you respect their privacy.
• People feel overwhelmed when you overload them with emails. So, be mindful while keeping someone in CC and avoid sending them too many emails.

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Key Takeaways

In a nutshell, both CC and BCC in mail mean more than fancy add-ons. They make email interactions smooth and effective. Knowing how to use CC and BCC in email interactions smartly makes a huge difference. Find the right balance between both of them. Use CC when you want to promote open dialogue and improved group communication. On the other hand, go for BCC when privacy matters to you, or you want to use email lists.

Simply put, you can improve professional and personal relationships by correctly understanding the use of BCC and CC in email interactions.

Also read: Harnessing AI Power: Mastering Gmail’s “Help Me Write” Too

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