Blind carbon copy (BCC) hides the email addresses of everyone you send a message to from each other
When you use blind carbon copy, or BCC, you send an email to multiple people without letting them see who else received it. The recipients can see the message and any addresses in the "To" or "CC" fields, but they cannot see the addresses in the BCC field — not even each other's.
This is different from regular carbon copy (CC), where everyone on the email can see everyone else's address. BCC is useful when you want to send the same message to a group but keep their addresses private from one another.
Key Takeaways
- BCC hides recipient addresses from all other people on the email, while CC shows them to everyone.
- Use BCC when you are sending to a large group, a mailing list, or people who should not know each other's contact information.
- BCC recipients cannot see that they are on a BCC line — they receive the email as if they were the only one, or one of a few named recipients.
- Most email programs (Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail) have a BCC field you can show or hide with a single click.
When to use BCC instead of CC
Use BCC when you are sending to a group of people who do not know each other or should not have each other's email addresses. A common example is a newsletter or announcement sent to many people at once. If you put all addresses in the "To" field, every recipient sees a long list of strangers. If you use BCC, each person sees only their own address and thinks the message came to them alone.
BCC is also the right choice when you are forwarding someone's message to a third party without their knowledge, or when you want to keep someone informed without making it obvious to the main recipient. For example, if you send a work email to your manager and BCC your HR contact, the manager will not know HR is reading it.
In professional settings, BCC protects privacy in job searches, sensitive feedback, or when you are building a mailing list from public sources. In personal use, it prevents people from harvesting email addresses or contacting each other without permission.
How BCC works technically
When you send an email with BCC recipients, your email server delivers the message to those addresses, but it strips out the BCC field before the email reaches anyone's inbox. This means the email header — the part that shows who sent it, when, and to whom — does not include BCC addresses.
To the person receiving the email, there is no way to tell they were on a BCC line. They see only the "To" and "CC" fields. They cannot reply to the BCC field or see who else is on it. From their perspective, the email looks like it went to whoever is listed in "To" and "CC," and that is all.
The difference between To, CC, and BCC
| Field | Who sees it | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| To | Everyone on the email | The person or people the email is directly for |
| CC | Everyone on the email | You want to include someone for information, and everyone should know they are included |
| BCC | Only the BCC recipient and the sender | You want to send to someone without others knowing, or to a large group without sharing addresses |
How to use BCC in common email programs
In Gmail, open a new email and click "To." A dropdown menu appears with options for "To," "CC," and "BCC." Click "BCC" to add that field to your compose window. Type the address and write your message as usual. The BCC field works the same way as "To" or "CC" — you can add multiple addresses separated by commas.
In Outlook (desktop and web), the BCC field is usually hidden by default. In the web version, click "Cc" and a "Bcc" option appears next to it. In the desktop version, go to the "Options" tab and click "Bcc" to show the field. Once visible, it stays visible for future emails.
In Apple Mail, open a new message and go to the menu bar. Click "View" and select "Bcc Header." The BCC field now appears in your compose window. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Command+Shift+B to toggle it on and off.
Privacy and etiquette concerns with BCC
BCC is a legitimate tool, but using it without someone's knowledge can damage trust. If you BCC your manager on an email to a colleague without telling the colleague, and they find out later, they may feel spied on. The same applies to forwarding someone's message to a third party without permission.
In professional settings, it is usually better to be transparent. If you need to loop someone in, tell the main recipient: "I am also sending this to HR for documentation." This is honest and avoids the feeling of secrecy.
BCC is appropriate for newsletters, mailing lists, and group announcements where privacy is the whole point. It is less appropriate for one-on-one or small-group conversations where transparency is expected.
Common mistakes people make with BCC
The biggest mistake is forgetting that BCC recipients cannot see each other. If you send an email to five people on BCC and one of them replies to the message, their reply goes only to the sender, not to the other four. This can create confusion if you expect all BCC recipients to see the conversation.
Another mistake is assuming BCC is completely private. Your email provider can see BCC addresses in their logs. If someone subpoenas your email records or your account is hacked, BCC addresses can be exposed. BCC protects privacy from other email recipients, not from your email provider or law enforcement.
Some people also use BCC to hide the fact that they are sending the same message to many people, which can feel deceptive if the recipients later discover it. Be clear about what you are doing and why.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can BCC recipients see each other's addresses?
No. BCC recipients see only the "To" and "CC" fields. They have no way to know who else is on the BCC line or even that a BCC line exists. Each BCC recipient sees the email as if it came to them alone or to the people listed in "To" and "CC."
If I reply to a BCC email, does my reply go to everyone?
No. If you are a BCC recipient and you click "Reply," your response goes only to the sender, not to anyone else on the email. If you click "Reply All," it still goes only to the sender and anyone in the "To" and "CC" fields — not to other BCC recipients, because they are invisible to you.
Is BCC the same as forwarding an email?
No. When you forward an email, you are sending someone a copy of a message that was already sent. When you use BCC, you are sending the original message to multiple people at once, without them knowing about each other. Forwarding is transparent; BCC is hidden.
Can my email provider see who I put in BCC?
Yes. Your email provider's servers handle the delivery and can see all addresses, including BCC. BCC protects privacy from other email recipients, not from your email service or from law enforcement with a warrant.
Should I use BCC for work emails?
Use BCC in work settings only when there is a clear reason — like a mailing list, a newsletter, or protecting someone's privacy. Do not use it to secretly monitor conversations or to hide that you are looping someone in. If you need someone to see an email, tell the main recipient you are including them.