How to Use Cc and Bcc in Outlook (and Show the Bcc Field)
To is for the people you're talking to. Cc is for people who should see it. Bcc is for people who should see it without anyone else knowing. Get these right and you'll avoid the two classic email mistakes: copying 200 customers into one email, and hitting Reply All on something you shouldn't.
Quick reference
| Field | Who sees them? | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| To | Everyone | People you expect to act or reply |
| Cc | Everyone | People kept in the loop |
| Bcc | Only you | Big lists, your own records, discreet copies |
1. What Cc and Bcc mean
• Cc (carbon copy) — recipients get the email and everyone can see they got it. They're not expected to reply.
• Bcc (blind carbon copy) — recipients get the email, but nobody else can see their address. People in To and Cc don't know the Bcc recipients exist.
• Bcc (blind carbon copy) — recipients get the email, but nobody else can see their address. People in To and Cc don't know the Bcc recipients exist.
2. Show the Bcc field
New Outlook and Outlook on the web: click New mail. At the right-hand end of the To line, click Bcc. The Bcc box appears below Cc.
To show it on every email: Settings → Mail → Compose and reply → tick Always show Bcc.
Classic Outlook: in the message window, click the Options tab, then Bcc in the Show Fields group. Once turned on, it stays on for future messages.
3. Email a group without sharing addresses
Sending a newsletter, a club notice or a party invite to lots of people? Never put them all in To. You'd be sharing everyone's email address with everyone else — bad manners at best, a data protection problem at worst.
1. Put your own address in To.
2. Put everyone else in Bcc.
3. Send.
2. Put everyone else in Bcc.
3. Send.
Each person sees the email addressed to you, with no sign of who else received it. If they reply, only you get it — no accidental Reply All storms.
For regular groups, create a contact group (there's a separate guide) and put the group in Bcc.
4. When to use Cc
Use Cc when the person needs to see the conversation but isn't being asked to do anything: your manager on a client reply, a colleague who's taking over a project. Keep it short — a long Cc list means a long Reply All list.
If you're in Cc on an email, you're generally not expected to respond.
5. Cc versus Bcc for sensitive copies
If you Bcc your boss on a reply to a colleague, and your boss hits Reply All, the colleague sees that your boss was copied. Awkward. Safer: send the email normally, then forward your sent copy to your boss with a note.
6. Reply All etiquette
Before clicking Reply All, look at the Cc line. Does everyone there need your answer? "Thanks!" to 30 people is the kind of email that gets you talked about. Reply to the sender alone unless the group genuinely needs to see it.
In new Outlook you can set Reply as the default instead of Reply All: Settings → Mail → Compose and reply → Default reply.
Troubleshooting
Bcc recipients can see each other. They can't — each Bcc recipient only sees the To and Cc fields. If someone says they can see other addresses, check you didn't put them in Cc by mistake.
My email went to Junk for Bcc recipients. Emails with many Bcc recipients and an empty-looking To line can trip spam filters. Put yourself in To, keep the list under about 50, and consider a proper mailing tool for bigger lists.
The Bcc field disappeared in classic Outlook. Click Options → Bcc in any new message to turn it back on.
Wrapping up
To for action, Cc for information, Bcc for groups — with your own address in To. Turn on Always show Bcc and you'll never have to hunt for the box again.
