When email replaced traditional forms of office communication, it took on the existing language of paper-based memoranda. Office assistants used to type correspondence on carbon-backed paper so that a carbon copy was automatically made, which could then be sent to a second recipient. It eliminated the need to type the same document multiple times.
The term carbon copy – or more commonly, “CC” – is now an integral part of email lingo. And while there isn’t a handbook on how and when to use it, there are some best practices that are worth bearing in mind before filling out the CC field and clicking “send.”
How to use CC in Gmail
Jun 29, 2020.
- In email, CC stands for carbon copy, while BCC stand for blind carbon copy. Those email addresses listed under CC in an email get a copy of the email, and everyone on the list can see who they are. Those email addresses listed under BCC receive an email, but it is not visible to other recipients.
- History of CC and BCC before emails. Before 1970, there was no email.Therefore, sending typed or printed letters was the only way for written communication. To keep an office-copy of the letter or to forward a copy of the same letter to other recipients, a carbon paper had to be used with that typewriter.
Using CC in current email language means you’re sending an email not only to the primary recipient in the “To” field, but also to one or more secondary recipients. In Gmail, you can CC up to 100 recipients in any one email.
To complete the CCfield in Gmail:
- Click Compose to open a new message.
- Complete the To field by inserting the primary recipient email address.
- Click CC in the top right of the email composer.
- Insert the secondary recipients’ email addresses.
Once you’ve clicked Send, your email will be sent to both your primary recipient in the To field, and to any email recipients you’ve included in the CC field. Every recipient will be able to see all of the other email addresses, so make sure you have consent to share your contacts’ details.
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When to use CC in an email
While CC is a useful tool both for saving time and improving communications, it’s often used too liberally, without proper consideration to some basic communication etiquette. As such, our list of when to use CC is relatively short:
When you want to keep recipients in the loop
Use caution when keeping people “in the loop.” If you use it to excess, then you risk inundating your recipients with too many emails that they simply won’t read.
Think about whether each recipient really needs to be copied. Does the email contain information that they need, or are you just adding yet another email to their inbox?
As a general rule, we’d suggest that people who need to be kept in the loop are:
- Managers or colleagues who specifically ask to be CC’d on all or specific communications.
- Members of a team who need to be kept abreast of a project.
When you’re introducing a contact
When you’re emailing someone to introduce them to another contact, you want both parties to see the email so that they can continue the conversation afterwards. It’s up to you whether you add the new contact in the To or the CC field here, although using CC is perfectly acceptable.
When not to use CC in an email
Bulging inboxes can be a real problem for efficiency, and it’s natural for people to prioritize more pressing emails over correspondence they’re merely CC’d on. If you routinely CC one of your contacts on your broader correspondence, before too long, they’ll stop reading the emails altogether. This could result in them missing out on some important information along the way.
Use caution with this function so that you’re not unnecessarily CC’ing people and inundating them with more mail than they need.
When you don’t have appropriate consent
When used liberally and unthinkingly, CC’ing can cause unintended problems.
Say you’ve been in email communication with a colleague and then suddenly decide that another colleague might also benefit from being included in the thread. Before simply CC’ing them on your next reply, make sure you ask the permission of both parties first. There could be sensitive information deep in the existing thread that the new contact shouldn’t see.
When you’re expecting a response or action
Consider only CC-ing recipients from whom you don’t expect a response or a direct action – in fact, most email recipients automatically assume no action is needed on their part if they’re only CC’d. If you do want a recipient to respond or act, then technically they should be put in the To field.
Before you hit send, look at your CC field and think about what you’re expecting from each of those recipients. Depending on your answers, consider moving appropriate contacts into the To field instead.
When you want to embarrass someone or prove a point
It’s not unusual for people to use the CC field for cynical reasons.
You may have received an angry email from a colleague with your boss copied in. Or you may have been called out by your manager for an action you’ve taken and been tempted to prove that they had already been copied into the relevant correspondence.
Using CC for passive-aggressive or point-scoring reasons is not good practice and should be left alone.
When you want to copy in many recipients
Overpopulating the CC field can be extremely distracting to any recipient opening a new email, so ideally keep the CC field to no more than three or four recipients. Any more than this, and you should consider doing a mail merge or using newsletter software such as Mailchimp.
Additional Reading:How to Use Bcc Appropriately in Email
Why CC’ing Your Boss on Every Email Erodes Trust
![How To Crack Bcc Email Means How To Crack Bcc Email Means](https://i1.wp.com/blog.boomerangapp.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/bcc2.jpg?resize=304%2C90&ssl=1)
Many employees have had times when they’re working through their emails for the day and CC their boss on a message to a colleague. It isn’t mean maliciously – they’re just trying to keep everyone in the loop.
What’s so wrong with that?
According to a study of 584 people, 345 people said that they trusted their coworker less when they CC’d their boss on an email. The study also pointed out that trust across the organizational culture is likely low if this is happening frequently.
With this in mind, even if you have good intentions, think before copying your boss on an email to a coworker. Unless it’s been requested or is absolutely necessary, your colleague may not appreciate it.
Always Double Check Threads for Previous Replies
The last thing you want to do in an email chain is double up your replies or bring up points that have already been raised and discussed. This can admittedly be a hassle, especially because CC threads can end up ridiculously long.
That said, a quick scan of what has come before can save precious time further down the line. We already spend so long inside our email inbox every day, so it’s important to do your part to reduce repetitive emails for both yourself and your colleagues.
The Types of CC That You Should Avoid
There are several types of CC’ers that you should avoid – here’s a breakdown:
The Social Sloth
You know the type. They send you emails that barely make sense and only include a few words. The Social Sloth doesn’t even know that CC exists. And herein lies the problem: questions are answered or asked without context. This pattern of communication is extremely inefficient and wastes everyone’s time. Don’t be that person. And if you know a Social Sloth, try gently educating them on best practices for CC’ing, and stick with it if they don’t pick it up right away.
The Big Boss
How To Crack Bcc Recipients Outlook
The Big Boss isn’t the actual boss – they just think they are. They’re often looking out for themselves and use CC as a weapon by copying everyone into every email – making sure everyone sees everything. Again, this is not best practice, and you should avoid using CC in this way. Use it wisely and only when it’s productive.
The Best Friend Boss
The Best Friend Boss is actually the boss, but they want to be your friend and for you to know that they are just part of the team. This becomes an issue when everyone is included in every email in an attempt to foster team spirit and make sure no one is left out. In reality, this leads to everyone on the team receiving unnecessary emails and wasting time trying to sort through them all. There are certainly effective ways to foster a collaborative work culture, but excessive CC’ing is not one of them.
Use it sparingly
Most of us get on with our day-to-day email correspondence without giving it too much thought. We use CC regularly to cover our backs and to ensure that everyone is kept “in the loop” whether they need to be or not.
But next time you compose an email, take a minute to consider whether CC-ing is helpful or necessary. CC is a very useful tool, but only when used sparingly and with some consideration. Check out our post on how to use BCC in email if you’re looking to understand another important email sending feature.
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You’d think such a simple and long-lived feature of email would be better understood and better utilized, but the sad truth is many modern professionals don’t really understand how the “CC” function works.
Here at EmailAnalytics, we’re committed to improving everyone’s ability to email effectively, so we thought we’d take the time to put together a succinct, yet comprehensive guide: What does CC mean in email, when should you use it, and when should you avoid using it?
Bcc In Email
Table of Contents
- General Rules for CC Etiquette
CC for Email: The Basics
Let’s start with the basics. “CC” stands for “carbon copy,” and functionally represents a copy of an email sent to another addressee. If you include the email address of another individual in the CC line, that person will receive a copy of the email you send to the people in the “To” field.
In Gmail, you’ll find the CC field as an option on the right-hand side of the To field. Click it to open a new line for CC recipients.
You can add up to 100 CC recipients in Gmail. Please don’t ever do this.
Note that there’s also an option for “BCC,” or “blind carbon copy.” We dig deeper into BCCs in this guide to BCC in email; for now, understand that this feature works much like the CC feature, but the recipients will not be visible to anyone else on the email (including other BCC recipients). It’s a way to copy someone without advertising the fact that you’re copying them.
Finer Points on the Mechanics of CC
There are a few more things to note about the mechanics of CCing someone. When you CC a person, or several people, all those addresses and names will be visible to all other people included on the email (in the To field, CC field, and BCC field). This can be both an advantage and a disadvantage.
Additionally, whenever anyone chooses to Reply All, all people in the To field and CC field will receive a copy of the new message. CC’d people will have the option to Reply or Reply All, like a direct recipient. CC’d people often end up in the middle of extended email threads, whether that was the intention or not. In all cases, a direct Reply will only go to the person who drafted the message—regardless of whether they started as the sender, a direct recipient, or in the CC line.
It’s also worth noting that people can be selectively removed from the conversation if it begins getting out of hand. This will not delete any previous messages from their inbox.
Why Use CC Instead of “To”?
CC’d people get the email just like people in the To field, and have all the same power and visibility. You can also add multiple people to the To field. So why would you ever use CC instead of To?
Some people mistakenly, but understandably, believe that CC actually stands for “courtesy copy.” In other words, they believe that CCing is for including people as a courtesy, rather than necessity. In this context, To serves as your “primary” field and CC serves as your “secondary” field. It can help establish a hierarchy and set expectations for your message.
Let’s take a look at some appropriate and inappropriate ways to use this. Kodak esp 9250 drivers for mac.
Appropriate Times to CC Someone in an Email
These are some of the most common and appropriate ways to use the CC field for an email:
- Keeping someone “in the loop.” CCing is useful for keeping someone “in the loop” about a project. For example, let’s say your boss asks you about a specific client and asks you for an update on their disposition. Later that day, you can send an email to the client asking them how they’re doing, and recapping some of your successes—CCing your boss will keep them informed that you’re communicating with your client, and of the client’s reply (assuming they Reply All). Just be careful here; as we’ll see, you can keep someone “in the loop” for bad reasons, too.
- Introducing new people. The CC field is also incredibly useful for introducing people, or sending over contact information. Here, you can use the To field for your main recipient, and use the CC field to introduce new people to them. This way, your introduced parties will all be notified of the exchange.
- Representing a team. If you’re trying to represent an entire team, it’s helpful to CC your other team members. This is especially helpful if you’re introducing a bunch of employees to a client for the first time, or if you’re making a meaningful announcement.
- Showing that you don’t need a response. The To field is often used as a subtle way to indicate the primary parties responsible for an email; in other words, you expect a response from them. Including someone in the CC line tacitly implies that you don’t require a response from them. It’s an easy way to let people off the hook.
When Not to Use CC
There are also some ways you could breach etiquette with your use of the CC field. Avoid these approaches:
- Copying up. “Copying up” is the practice of intentionally CCing someone’s boss or supervisor in an attempt to make them look bad. For example, you might point out a mistake they made, or ask them a passive aggressive question. Even if you’re in an uncomfortable situation, this is generally regarded as bad form, and could make you appear petty or manipulative. If you ever find yourself in this position, it’s usually better to deal with the person directly, or in extreme cases, their supervisor directly. The passive-aggressive CC is never necessary.
- Forgoing consent. If you’re introducing people, make sure you have their consent to do so; not everyone is okay with you sharing their email address to strangers.
- Wanting a response. If you expect someone to answer a question or respond to your message, include them in the To field to let them know they’re a primary recipient. The only exception here is if the email thread develops in a new direction, in which case, call out the CC’d person by name or start a new thread with them as the direct recipient if you want a response.
- Expecting an extended discussion. If you’re about to start a long discussion, understand that every CC’d person is going to receive an alert every time there’s a new message in that thread. If they’re not an active participant, it’s only going to annoy them. Keep the participant list to a minimum if you’re anticipating an extended back-and-forth.
- Inflating the group. Similarly, it’s best to avoid using the CC line if you’re only using it to inflate the apparent size of your group. It’s ridiculously easy to add people to the CC field, so some people use this as an excuse to tack on as many possibly relevant parties as they can think of. In almost all cases, reducing your number of recipients is the more efficient choice.
What to Do If You’re CC’d
If you’re the one included in the CC field, there are a few important things to keep in mind:
- You probably don’t need to respond. In most cases, people who are CC’d aren’t expected to reply to the message (or to the thread, unless called out by name).
- Your information is shared, perhaps intentionally. Everyone on the thread can see your name and email address.
- Your Reply All will go to everyone. If you hit Reply All, your reply will go to every email address that’s publicly visible.
- Not everyone knows (or follows) standard CC practices. This is by far the most important rule in this section, and maybe in the entire guide, so I’ll repeat it: not everyone knows or follows standard CC practices. Accordingly, you can never be 100 percent sure that you belong in the CC field. You could have been CC’d by accident. The person could be expecting a reply from you. The sender might have no clue what CC is actually for. Take this into account when engaging with others, especially if you don’t know their email habits well.
General Rules for CC Etiquette
If you’re ever confused on whether a situation calls for the use of CC, keep these general principles in mind:
- Use CC sparingly. It only takes a click to add someone to a CC line, but that doesn’t mean you can abuse the feature. Try to limit your use of CCs to when they’re truly appropriate.
- Use CC only for good. You can use the CC field to embarrass, reprimand, ego-boost, or be passive aggressive, but don’t be that person. Think: how would [insert wholesome role model here] CC someone?
- Understand the better options. To and BCC fields are better in many situations. Learn how to use them well, and don’t just default to CC.
If you’re interested in taking a closer look at your ongoing email threads, or if you just want a better handle on your email efficiency, consider taking EmailAnalytics for a spin.
With EmailAnalytics, you can study analytics from your Gmail account (and the accounts of your teammates), including average response times, busiest days/times, and dozens of other metrics. Sign up for a free trial today, and see firsthand what it’s all about!
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Jayson is a long-time columnist for Forbes, Entrepreneur, BusinessInsider, Inc.com, and various other major media publications, where he has authored over 1,000 articles since 2012, covering technology, marketing, and entrepreneurship. He keynoted the 2013 MarketingProfs University, and won the “Entrepreneur Blogger of the Year” award in 2015 from the Oxford Center for Entrepreneurs. In 2010, he founded a marketing agency that appeared on the Inc. 5000 before selling it in January of 2019, and he is now the CEO of EmailAnalytics, and co-host of the podcast The Entrepreneur Cast.