Table of contents
1.
Introduction
2.
What is CC in Email?
2.1.
Example
3.
What is BCC in Email?
3.1.
Example
4.
Difference between CC and BCC
5.
Frequently Asked Questions 
5.1.
What is the difference between using CC and BCC?
5.2.
Is BCC a hidden CC?
5.3.
Who sees CC and BCC?
5.4.
What does BCC mean in email example?
6.
Conclusion
Last Updated: Mar 27, 2024
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Difference between CC and BCC

Author Rishabh
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Introduction

Email plays a very important role in our everyday lives. Emails are sent to an individual or a group of people and are generally delivered within seconds. In this article, we will cover the difference between cc and bcc.

Difference Between CC and BCC

CC stands for "Carbon Copy," used to send emails to multiple recipients, who can all see each other's email addresses. BCC stands for "Blind Carbon Copy," allowing you to send emails to multiple recipients without revealing their email addresses to each other.

What is CC in Email?

CC stands for Carbon Copy. When we CC someone on an email, it means we are sending them a copy of the mail even though they are not the primary recipient. When we “CC” an email, each recipient will be able to see the list of all other recipients. 

We use CC to communicate with a group of people as it becomes easier, and we do not need to add every member of the group again in the recipient's section.  

There can be a few examples when we use cc in general:

  • When we mail our boss about the updates, we generally keep our coworkers in CC so that they can also give their input.
     
  • We are emailing someone about a meeting and we also mail someone who can’t attend the meeting but should be aware of the meeting.

Example

cc example

Here, we keep Gazal and Sneha in cc where they can see each other's email. In general, here cc'ed members can see other recipients to whom the mail has been sent. 

What is BCC in Email?

BCC stands for Blind Carbon Copy. It is also used to send a copy of the mail even though they are not the recipients. When we “BCC” an email, each recipient will not be able to see the list of all other recipients. BCC is also used to communicate with a group of people without knowing the other recipients. It can be useful for organizations to send emails, keeping the privacy of the other recipients also. 

There can be a few examples when we use cc in general.

  • When we are mailing a group of people about a meeting and we BCC a person who we don’t want the other recipients to know.is attending.
     
  • When we are issuing a notice to someone and we BCC all other people to whom the notice is issued.
     

Example

bcc example

Here, we kept them as bcc, where they cannot see each other's email in the cc list. In general bcc members are not visible to other recipients to whom the mail has been sent.

Difference between CC and BCC

Now let us see the differences between CC and BCC.

CC BCC
The full form of CC is a Carbon Copy. The full form of BCC is a Blind Carbon Copy.
A copy of the email is sent to all recipients. A copy of the email is sent to all recipients but their identity is hidden from other recipients.
All other recipients can see other recipients in the CC field. No recipient can see other recipients in the BCC field.
It is generally used to keep other people informed or to include them in a conversation. It is used to send emails to multiple people without revealing other people’s identities.
All recipients in the CC field receive replies from others. Only the sender receives the reply.

See more, Difference Between List and Set

Frequently Asked Questions 

What is the difference between using CC and BCC?

CC (Carbon Copy) includes recipients visible to all; BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) hides recipients.

Is BCC a hidden CC?

BCC operates differently from a hidden CC. While CC shows the names of recipients to all other recipients, BCC hides the names of recipients from all other recipients. BCC is more discreet and commonly used when you don't want recipients to know who else received the email.

Who sees CC and BCC?

In an email, CC recipients can see all other CC recipients, while BCC recipients cannot see each other. Only the sender knows who is included in the BCC field. This provides a level of privacy and confidentiality, especially when emailing a large group of people who may not know each other.

What does BCC mean in email example?

In an email example, BCC stands for Blind Carbon Copy. It's used to send an email to multiple recipients without revealing their email addresses to each other. For instance, when sending a newsletter to a large group of subscribers, using BCC ensures each recipient's privacy and prevents their email addresses from being shared with others on the list.

Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed the difference between CC and BCC. Understanding the distinction between CC and BCC is crucial for effective email communication. CC (Carbon Copy) reveals recipients' names to all others, fostering transparency. Conversely, BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) shields recipients' identities, offering privacy. To learn more, check out our articles:


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