Remember back to the last time you typed a very important work email. When the moment arrived to send it to multiple people, a problem arose. Most of the recipients are only being notified of the message as a courtesy and no action was required from them. Do you CC them or BCC them? That is the eternal question?

Back in January I presented a webinar about Effective Email Etiquette. One of the topics I touched on was when it is more appropriate to use CC over BCC. For a refresher, the difference between the two is that CC means all recipients know that person was copied. The BCC is a blind copy and only that person knows they have been copied.

When is it best to CC a recipient?

1. For Informational Purposes: CC is commonly used when you want to keep someone in the loop or inform them about the content of the email without requiring their direct action. It allows additional recipients to be aware of the conversation or information exchange.
2. When Multiple Parties Need to Be Informed: Use CC when there are multiple individuals or teams that need to be aware of the communication but may not need to actively participate.
3. To Keep a Record: CC can be used to keep a record of the communication for someone who may not be directly involved but needs to be aware of the conversation for documentation purposes.
4. To Include a Supervisor or Manager: If you are communicating with a colleague and want to keep their supervisor or manager informed, CC can be an appropriate option.

When it is best BCC a recipient?

1. For Privacy and Confidentiality: BCC is used when you want to protect the privacy of recipients by concealing their email addresses from others on the list. It is often used in mass emails to protect the privacy of recipients.
2. To Avoid Reply All Confusion: If you are sending an email to a large group and want to avoid cluttering inboxes with unnecessary replies, you can use BCC to hide the recipient list.
3. When Introducing New Contacts: If you are introducing someone to a group or connecting people who may not know each other, using BCC can maintain privacy while facilitating introductions.
4. For Sensitive Matters: When discussing sensitive or confidential matters and ensure that recipients do not see each other’s email addresses, BCC can be a useful tool.

As you consider whether to CC or BCC, there are some important considerations to consider:

1. Ethical Use: Use CC and BCC ethically and responsibly. Avoid using BCC to hide information that should be transparent or to deceive recipients.
2. Recipient Expectations: Be mindful of recipient expectations. Some people may be sensitive about being CCed on emails, so use discretion.
3. Company Policies: Some organizations may have specific policies about the use of CC and BCC. Familiarize yourself with your company’s guidelines.
4. Replying and Forwarding: Note that when recipients reply to an email, everyone in the CC list will see the reply. BCC recipients, however, will not be able to see each other’s replies.

To learn more about effective email etiquette, please read the full text of the webinar on the Efficient Librarian website.