The Difference Between To, CC, and BCC in Email
To:
This is for the main recipient(s) of your email.
The people you put here are the ones you are directly addressing.
Example: You email the building maintenance person asking for more copy paper. Their address goes in the To line.
CC (Carbon Copy):
Used to keep others in the loop without addressing them directly.
The CC’d people can see the email and all other recipients, but the message isn’t meant specifically for them.
Example: When you email maintenance for more paper, you also CC the secretary so they’re aware you sent the request.
BCC (Blind Carbon Copy):
Works like CC, but the recipients are hidden from everyone else.
People in BCC can read the email, but no one else (not even the “To” and “CC” recipients) knows they got it.
Useful for:
Copying your principal on an email to a parent, without the parent knowing.
Sending the same email to a group (like parents), while keeping addresses private so no one sees each other’s email. This also prevents “Reply All” chaos.
👉 Quick Rule of Thumb:
To = Who the email is for
CC = Who should be aware
BCC = Who should be aware, but invisible