Difference Between CC vs BCC
They look almost identical and function in an almost identical manner, but the difference between CC and BCC is leagues apart and all revolves around one very small but crucial detail.
Today we’re going to thoroughly analyze the two words including their exact definition and functionality so that you’ve got total understanding going forwards about how to use them in a real life scenario. Ready to find out more? Let’s get straight to it!
Definition of CC
CC is: “The act of sending someone a copy of any form of mail.”
When you CC someone into an email at work, for example, you’re copying them in so that they have access to the same information as the recipient. The message itself doesn’t have to have been created for the person who receives the copy, but they will get to see and keep the contents regardless.
This is an incredibly useful function when it comes to sending out, for example, mass company emails where many individuals need to read and access the same information at once. By CCing individuals or groups of people when sending it, all of the relevant parties can receive it.
It’s also useful for record keeping purposes and for keeping someone informed in the progress of a certain chain of information or activity.
The difference between bcc and cc lies in privacy. When you copy someone into any kind of mail using the CC function, it means that everyone viewing the mail will see who has witnessed it. This isn’t the case with BCC as we’ll now discover.
Definition of BCC
BCC is: “The act of copying an individual or several individuals into a message without the original recipient being aware.”
BCC allows you to send an email while copying others in and granting them access to its contents. The difference here is that those in the “recipient” field cannot see who has been copied in and therefore do not know that it has been witnessed by others.
There are several scenarios where you’d debate cc vs bcc and which one might work best. But on the whole, the use of BCC tends to be a means of avoiding any conflicts or awkward situations arising. It can be an incredibly useful way of notifying a person in the work place, for instance about of wrong doing, but without the intended recipient of the email being aware that they know.
It depends on who exactly is being copied in, but if it’s say a line manager, then this can lead to an employee reading the situation negatively and feeling attacked. A blind copy can allow you to inform line management of a situation without the employee being aware. On the whole, it makes for a more subtle and less confrontational means of communication and information sharing.
Main Differences Between CC vs BCC
We’ll now outline a quick reference table for you to review and compare the key differences between these two actions.
| Basis of Comparison | CC | BCC |
| Visibility | Recipient can see those who are copied in | Recipient can’t see those copied in |
| Stands for? | Carbon Copy | Blind Carbon Copy |
| People being copied | Can see each other | Can’t see each other |
| Used for? | Sending information to multiple people | Sending information to multiple people |
| Examples | Copying a solicitor into an email to a construction manager to make them aware of the progression of a house sale | Copying a line manager into an email to an employee without the employee knowing to avoid potential confrontation |
The above areas help us to separate the variations relating to cc vs bcc more transparently.
Difference Between CC and BCC: Conclusion
After reading through today’s post, you should now have a much wider understanding of the differences between these two actions. Though they are very similar in nature and ultimately designed to fulfil the same purpose, one is a much more subtle way of achieving the end result of sharing one piece of information with several people at once. Take a glance at our quick reference table any time you need a refresh on this topic in the future.
