Blind copy in Outlook hides recipient addresses from everyone else on the email

When you send an email to multiple people, the Bcc field (blind carbon copy) lets you add recipients whose addresses stay hidden from all other recipients. Everyone who receives the email sees the To and Cc fields, but only the people in the Bcc field know they were included. The Bcc field is not visible by default in Outlook — you have to turn it on first.

This is useful when you are sending the same message to a large group and do not want people to see each other's email addresses, or when you want to send a copy to someone without the main recipient knowing about it.

Key Takeaways

  • The Bcc field is hidden by default in Outlook and must be turned on before you can use it.
  • In Outlook on the web, click the three dots next to Cc to reveal the Bcc field.
  • In Outlook desktop, go to the Options tab and select Bcc to show the field.
  • Anyone in the Bcc field receives the email but their address is invisible to all other recipients.
  • Once you turn on Bcc, it stays visible for future emails in that same session.

How to show the Bcc field in Outlook on the web

Open a new email message. In the compose window, look for the To field at the top. Next to the To field, you will see Cc. Click the three dots or the arrow next to Cc, and Bcc will appear as an option below it.

Click Bcc to reveal the field. Type the email addresses of the people you want to blind copy into that field. They will receive the email, but their addresses will not appear to anyone else on the message.

How to show the Bcc field in Outlook desktop

Open a new email message. At the top of the compose window, click the Options tab. In the ribbon, you will see a button labeled Bcc. Click it, and the Bcc field will appear in your compose area below the Cc field.

Once you click Options > Bcc, the field stays visible for the rest of your session. You do not have to turn it on again for each new email you write. If you close Outlook and reopen it, you will need to turn on Bcc again.

The difference between Cc and Bcc

The Cc field (carbon copy) shows all recipients the addresses of everyone else on the email. If you put someone in the Cc field, their address is visible to the To recipients and to anyone else in the Cc field.

The Bcc field hides the recipient's address from everyone. The To and Cc recipients cannot see who is in the Bcc field, and the Bcc recipients cannot see each other. Use Cc when you want transparency about who is receiving the email, and use Bcc when you want to keep addresses private.

What happens when you send a blind copy

When you send an email with Bcc recipients, each person in the Bcc field receives a copy of the email. The email they receive shows the To and Cc fields as you wrote them, but does not show the Bcc field at all. To the Bcc recipient, it looks like they are the only one receiving the email (unless you also put them in the To or Cc field).

The people in the To and Cc fields see the message exactly as you composed it, with no indication that anyone was blind copied. They cannot see the Bcc field or any addresses in it.

Common reasons to use blind copy

Blind copy is useful when you are sending a message to a large group and want to protect people's privacy. For example, if you are notifying 50 people about a company policy change, you can put all 50 addresses in the Bcc field so no one sees the full contact list.

You might also use Bcc to send a copy to your own email address or to a manager without the main recipient knowing. Some people use Bcc to keep a record of an email they sent, or to loop in a supervisor without making it obvious to the other party.

What to watch out for when using blind copy

Do not use Bcc to deceive people or to hide important information from someone who should know about it. If someone finds out you blind copied them into an email, it can damage trust.

Also remember that blind copy only hides the recipient's address from other recipients — it does not hide the content of the email itself. If you blind copy someone into a message, they will see the full text and can forward it to others. The Bcc field itself is hidden, but the email content is not encrypted or private.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I see who was blind copied when I receive an email?

No. When you receive an email, you cannot see the Bcc field or any addresses in it. You only see the To and Cc fields. If you were blind copied, you will not know who else received the email.

Does the person in the Bcc field know they were blind copied?

Not unless you tell them. The Bcc recipient receives the email and sees it came from you, but the email itself does not indicate that they were blind copied or that anyone else received it.

Can I blind copy someone and also put them in the To field?

Yes, but it defeats the purpose. If someone is in both the To field and the Bcc field, they will see themselves in the To field and receive the email normally. There is no reason to put someone in both fields.

What if I accidentally send an email to the wrong Bcc recipient?

Once you send an email, you cannot unsend it or recall it in most cases. In Outlook on the web, you have a short window (usually a few seconds) to undo a send if you catch the mistake immediately. In Outlook desktop, the recall feature exists but does not always work. It is best to double-check the Bcc field before you click Send.

Does Outlook have a limit on how many people I can blind copy?

Outlook itself does not have a hard limit, but your email provider might. Most providers allow hundreds of recipients per email. However, sending to very large groups can trigger spam filters or cause delivery delays. Check with your email provider if you are sending to more than a few hundred people.