---
title: "CC (Carbon Copy)"
description: "CC (carbon copy) is the email field for visible recipients who get a copy for information. Learn how CC differs from BCC and how to use it correctly."
url: "https://nodea.io/en/glossary/cc-carbon-copy"
lang: "en"
updated: "2026-07-13"
---

# CC (Carbon Copy)

> CC (carbon copy) is an email address field used for recipients who receive a visible copy of a message for information rather than for direct action.

**CC (carbon copy)**, known in Polish as *DW* (*Do Wiadomości*), is an email address field used for people who should receive a visible copy of a message — not as the primary recipient, but for their information. Everyone on the message can see who is in the CC field, which makes it a tool for transparent communication in business correspondence.

## How the CC field works

A typical email has three address fields:

- **To** — the primary recipient, from whom a response is usually expected;
- **CC** — people receiving a visible copy, for their information;
- **BCC** — people receiving a hidden copy, invisible to the others.

Based on these fields, the mail server delivers the message to all listed recipients over the [SMTP](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/smtp) protocol. The key difference from [BCC](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/bcc) is visibility: CC addresses are exposed to the whole list, while BCC addresses stay hidden.

## Practical applications

CC is used in business communication to keep additional people — a manager, a department or a colleague — informed of a thread without asking them to reply. A good rule of thumb is that the To field is for people you expect something from, while CC is for people who only need to stay in the loop. In line with good [netiquette](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/netiquette), you should not overuse CC by copying in too many people, and you should avoid disclosing strangers' addresses; for mass sending, BCC or dedicated [email marketing](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/email-marketing) tools are the right choice. Be mindful of Reply All too: used carelessly, it can flood the inboxes of everyone in the CC field with unnecessary messages. Every email client and [webmail](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/webmail) interface supports the CC field, and its contents are stored in the message headers, so the full list of visible recipients can always be checked later.

### How does CC differ from BCC?

Recipients in the CC field are visible to everyone on the message, and their addresses are disclosed. In the BCC (blind copy) field, recipients stay hidden from one another, which protects privacy when sending to many people.

## Related

- [BCC](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/bcc)
- [SMTP](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/smtp)
- [Webmail](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/webmail)
- [Netiquette](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/netiquette)
- [Email marketing](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/email-marketing)

---

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