Blind copy sends an email to someone without the main recipient knowing they received it

Blind copy, or BCC, is a field in your email program that lets you send a message to one or more people without the primary recipient seeing their names or knowing they got the email. When you put someone in the BCC field, their address stays hidden from everyone else on the message — including the people in the "To" and "CC" fields.

The difference between BCC and the regular CC (carbon copy) field matters. When you CC someone, their name appears in the email header that everyone can see. When you BCC someone, that person receives the email but their address does not show up anywhere in the message that others receive.

Key Takeaways

  • BCC hides a recipient's email address from all other recipients, while CC makes the address visible to everyone on the message.
  • You can use BCC to protect privacy when sending the same message to a large group of people who do not know each other.
  • BCC is useful for sending yourself a copy of an email or adding a manager to a message without the other party knowing.
  • The person you BCC cannot see who else received the message, and other recipients cannot see that anyone was BCCed.

How to find and use the BCC field

Most email programs hide the BCC field by default. In Gmail, open a new message and click "BCC" next to the CC field at the top — it appears once you click in the "To" field. In Outlook on the web, click "Bcc" in the ribbon menu. In Apple Mail, go to the View menu and select "BCC Field". In Thunderbird, click the arrow next to "To:" and choose "BCC".

Once you see the BCC field, type or paste the email addresses you want to send to without revealing them. You can put multiple addresses in the BCC field by separating them with commas. The message goes to everyone in the To, CC, and BCC fields, but only the people in To and CC see each other's names.

When to use BCC for privacy

The most common reason to use BCC is protecting privacy when you send the same message to many people who do not know each other. If you are inviting 50 people to an event and do not want to expose everyone's email address to the group, put all 50 addresses in the BCC field instead of the To field. Each person receives the message but cannot see the other 49 addresses.

BCC also protects people from unwanted contact. If you send a message to a large mailing list and put addresses in the To field, someone could reply-all and spam everyone. Using BCC makes that much harder because recipients do not see the full list of who got the message.

Using BCC to keep yourself in the loop

You can BCC yourself on emails you send to others. This is useful when you want a copy of the message in your sent folder but the recipient does not need to know you kept a copy. For example, if you send an email to a vendor or contractor, you might BCC your manager so they can see the conversation without being part of the exchange.

Some people BCC themselves when they switch email accounts and want to preserve messages in both places. Others use it to create a record of important communications in a separate folder. The recipient sees only the To and CC fields, so they do not know you BCCed yourself.

BCC in workplace and formal emails

In a work setting, BCC is often used to add a supervisor or compliance officer to a message without the other party knowing. For example, if you are negotiating with a client, you might BCC your manager so they can monitor the conversation. This is legal and common, but it is worth knowing that the person you BCC can see the full message and all other recipients.

BCC can also be used to document communications. If you are sending an important message about a decision or agreement, you might BCC a folder or account where you keep records. This creates a backup copy in case you need to refer back to the message later.

What the person you BCC can and cannot see

A person in the BCC field receives the complete email message — the subject line, body, and any attachments. They see who the message was sent to (the To field) and who was copied (the CC field), but they do not see that they themselves were BCCed. They also cannot see the names or addresses of anyone else in the BCC field.

If the BCCed person replies to the message, their reply goes only to the sender and anyone in the To and CC fields — not to other BCCed recipients. This is an important limitation: BCC creates a one-way visibility, not a hidden group conversation.

Common mistakes with BCC

The biggest mistake is forgetting that BCC is not truly secret. The person you BCC can see the message and could forward it or mention it to others. If you BCC someone on a message, assume they might tell the other recipients. Do not use BCC to hide something unethical or to deceive people about what you are saying.

Another mistake is using BCC when CC would be clearer. If someone needs to be part of the conversation and should know they are being included, use CC instead. BCC is for situations where the person genuinely does not need to know they received the message — like a large mailing list or a manager monitoring a conversation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the person I BCC see who else was BCCed?

No. A BCCed recipient cannot see other BCCed addresses. They see only the To and CC fields. If multiple people are BCCed, none of them know about each other.

What happens if someone BCCed replies to the message?

Their reply goes only to the sender and anyone in the To and CC fields. Other BCCed recipients do not see the reply. This is why BCC is not suitable for group conversations.

Is it legal to BCC someone at work?

Yes, in most cases. Employers can monitor work email, and managers often BCC themselves on employee communications. However, some workplaces have policies about when BCC is appropriate, so check your employee handbook.

Can I BCC someone on a reply to an existing email?

Yes. When you reply to a message, you can add people to the BCC field just as you would in a new message. They receive your reply but not the original conversation thread.

What is the difference between BCC and forwarding?

When you forward a message, the recipient knows they received a forwarded email and can see who it came from. When you BCC someone on a new message, they receive it as if it was sent directly to them, and they do not see that you BCCed anyone else.