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What are CC and BCC in Gmail and how do I use them?

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Question added by Ghada Eweda , Medical sales hospital representative , Pfizer pharmaceutical Plc.
Date Posted: 2016/04/20
Ghada Eweda
by Ghada Eweda , Medical sales hospital representative , Pfizer pharmaceutical Plc.

The concept of BCC and CC in Gmail

The concept of BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) and CC (Carbon Copy) is understood to many, however, what email is visible to what user was an unknown fact fact to me which I recently discovered and am glad sharing it here.

I would like to explain it simply :

(CC) is "Carbon Copy"--it means that the addresses in this block will get a copy of the email.(BCC) is "Blind Carbon Copy." Addresses in this block will also get a copy o the email, but their names will not be listed in the headers that the recipient(s) sees

CC: Every one in the loop knows entire conversation.Usage: Keep the addressing person on To: and notofiying people in .

 

CC:BCC: Send message to a bunch of people, where each receiver can't able to know to whom all it was copied as well.Usage: Ask everyone a private opinion where each replies are directly sent only to you.

For example

Sender: Email 1To: Email 2cc: Email 3bcc: Email 4, Email 5This is what it looks like before the sender sends the email

It is received by Email 2, Email 3, Email 4 and Email 5 users with the following information:

What we draw from this:

1. All bcc addresses are ONLY visible to the sender.

2. bcc can see the 'To' and 'cc' addresses.

3. bcc addresses will not find their addresses in any/bcc field.

4. One bcc address cannot see or know other bcc address(es).

danish shafiq
by danish shafiq , Accountant , Anayat Fan

Cc: (Carbon Copy) - Put the email address(es) here if you are sending a copy for their information (and you want everyone to explicitly see this)

Bcc: (Blind Carbon Copy) - Put the email address here if you are sending them a Copy and you do not want the other recipients to see that you sent it to this contact

Noufal Ali
by Noufal Ali , Designer (2D & 3D) , SAUDI FAN INDUSTRIES

  • To: field recipients are the audience of the message
  • CC: field recipients are others whom the author wishes to publicly inform of the message (carbon copy)
  • BCC: field recipients are those being discreetly or surreptitiously informed of the communication and cannot be seen by any of the other addressees.

 

Vaqar Ali Sayyed
by Vaqar Ali Sayyed , AutoCad Opertator , Carlo Gavaazzi Arabia Co. Ltd.

There are primarily three ways to send an email to several recipients in one go - using the To, Cc and Bcc fields. By default you see only the first, but the other two can be made visible by clicking on their links - refer image below.

Click link to display Gmail Cc and Bcc fields

In any of these fields - whether it's To:, Cc: or Bcc - you can enter more than one email address and separate by commas.

As you can understand, sending an email to multiple recipients simultaneously is a real time-saver. In fact, copying-pasting the message to individual recipients when the email needs to be sent to many is not recommended unless, of course, you want to personalize each email with the name of the recipient.

So how do Cc and Bcc work?

Both Cc and Bcc forward a copy of the message to everyone you've listed. The main difference between Cc or Carbon copy and Bcc (Blind carbon copy) is that, with the latter, the recipients do not get to know each other. For instance, putting all your friends' emails in the Bcc field and asking them to meet you at a chosen rendezvous would make everyone feel special until they arrive at the venue!

Use the Gmail Cc field when you don't care if recipients get to know each other. Bcc is reserved for those "special and secretive" email messages, if you know what I mean. Here is a little advice for Bcc field usage - enter an alternate email address of yours in the To: field (because you cannot leave it empty) and put everyone else in Bcc: -. This way everyone else will see only your (other) email address.

Sending to multiple recipients - helpful suggestion

Sending emails frequently to the same list of people can be tiring because you need to enter each email address. Gmail has a better solution which I use a lot and check the scenario below to understand how it works.

Planning to regularly update your friends with the happenings in your life? I suggest you create a "Group" of all your friends using the Gmail Contacts section. You would then be able to email everyone without going through the trouble of typing each person's email address each time. Simply select everyone in the group and send your message.

Angelo Gonzales
by Angelo Gonzales , Encoder , BFL Group LLC

 

To: - Put the email address here if it is for their attention and action

Cc: (Carbon Copy) - Put the email address(es) here if you are sending a copy for their information (and you want everyone to explicitly see this)

Bcc: (Blind Carbon Copy) - Put the email address here if you are sending them a Copy and you do not want the other recipients to see that you sent it to this contact

Tip: If you are sending an email to many people use Bcc (so you don't give away everyone's email address to everyone else)

Can't see the Bcc field?

Whilst you are composing your email click the Options Tab and then the Bcc button - it looks like this...

bcc button

Ahmed Mohamed Ayesh Sarkhi
by Ahmed Mohamed Ayesh Sarkhi , Shared Services Supervisor , Saudi Musheera Co. Ltd.

CC that we use when we need to show for receiving  we send also copy for this

BCC that we add without inform receiving about this mail

 

Elke Woofter
by Elke Woofter , Project Assistant , American Technical Associates

There been already many good answers given there is no reason for me add additional information. I am only here to vote for the answers I like best

Good question and good answer by you madam Ghada :)

Omar Saad Ibrahem Alhamadani
by Omar Saad Ibrahem Alhamadani , Snr. HR & Finance Officer , Sarri Zawetta Company

Thanks

Fully agree with your answer Mrs. Ghada

Nuridin Islam Diab
by Nuridin Islam Diab , Training Manager , Bbusinesss LLE

Thanks for the invitation and I agree with your well explained answer. 

مها شرف
by مها شرف , معلمة لغة عربية , وزارة التربية السورية

I agree with M's Ghada answers, Thanks for the invitation. 

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