When to use cc and bcc in mail

The age-old question of CC and BCC!

CC (Carbon Copy)

Use CC when you want to send a copy of an email to someone who is not the primary recipient, but still needs to be informed about the email's content. This is often used for:

  1. Keeping others in the loop: When you're CC'ing someone who needs to know about the email's content, but isn't the primary recipient.
  2. Collaboration: When working on a project or task with others, CC'ing them can help keep everyone informed and on the same page.
  3. Reference purposes: When you want to keep a record of an email for future reference, CC'ing someone can help ensure they receive a copy.

BCC (Blind Carbon Copy)

Use BCC when you want to send an email to multiple recipients without revealing their email addresses to each other. This is often used for:

  1. Mass emails: When sending emails to a large number of people, BCC is a good way to keep their email addresses private.
  2. Confidentiality: When sending sensitive or confidential information, BCC can help protect the recipients' email addresses from being shared.
  3. Mailing lists: When managing a mailing list, BCC can help keep the list private and prevent recipients from seeing each other's email addresses.

Best practices

  1. Use CC when you want to keep others informed, but not necessarily involved in the conversation.
  2. Use BCC when you want to send an email to multiple recipients without revealing their email addresses to each other.
  3. Be mindful of the number of CC and BCC recipients you're sending emails to. Excessive use can lead to email fatigue and decreased engagement.
  4. Consider using a "Reply All" feature instead of CC'ing multiple recipients, especially if the email is not critical or time-sensitive.
  5. Always check with your organization's email policies and guidelines before using CC or BCC.

Remember, the key is to use CC and BCC responsibly and with consideration for the recipients' privacy and email inboxes.